Star Wars: A Larger World
by Dr. Holocron
Summary: A couple of short stories about days in the lives of different characters in the Star Wars universe!
1. 99 Problems

99 Problems

Here we go. Another day. Let's get started, shall we?

 _Step One: Get the training area ready._

I always get up an hour ahead of schedule to give myself more time. When you're as old and rough as I am, it never hurts to be early. I make it to the training area with a pile of blasters in-hand. I try to keep them balanced so they don't fall over. Unfortunately, they do.

 _Blast!_

Now they're scattered all over the floor. So I bend down and start picking them back up one by one. I notice that some of their parts have broken off. And that's when it starts.

 _Look what you've done! You've broken the blasters! How are the cadets gonna train now? Can't you do something right for once?_

I shake my head and try to block it out as I gather the missing parts. Luckily, I'm able to put them back on. Once the blasters are ready, I set them in place and walk towards the exit. But then…

 _How do you know one of those things won't fall over and shoot a hole in the wall? Or even in one of the cadets? Are you just gonna walk away and let that happen?_

I stop dead in my tracks and sit with these thoughts. After a few seconds, I sigh and head back over to the blasters. I double check them to make sure they won't fall over. Only then can I leave the training area.

 _Step Two: Clean the mess hall after breakfast._

I wait for the other clones to finish eating and then head inside with a mop and a bucket of soapy water. There's the usual stuff, like empty wrappers and runaway napkins. Those things I can just pick up and throw away. But then there's the spilled drinks, misfired condiments and globs of…whatever was being served that day. Those are the things I need the mop for. The mopping itself is pretty easy. But it's after the mopping is done when the trouble really begins.

 _That's a pretty big puddle of water there. How do you know one of the cadets won't slip and break something? Do you even care?_

"Of course I…"

 _No. Don't argue with them. Just keep going._

I go back, get rid of the puddle and then start to leave. But…

 _It wouldn't kill you to clean it again, you know. Or do you want everyone to think you're a failure?_

I try to ignore it. I try to move on. I try to push these thoughts to the back of my head and get on with my day.

I can't.

I clean the entire mess hall again. See why I start early now?

 _Step Three: Clean the halls._

This is my least favorite part of the job. Not because there's a ton to clean. But because the halls themselves are so long and confusing. And given that I'm not the most…agile clone around here, it's especially hard for me to cover every inch of these halls without getting lost.

 _Now I know how a mouse droid feels. But at least mouse droids don't have to carry brooms and rags with them…_

I clean the floors and windows while trying not to bump into any of the cadets walking by. The windows are fairly simple since there's rarely anything on them. But then I notice that one of the windows has a small scratch on it. I wipe the window quickly and start to clean the next one until…

 _How do you know something won't hit that window and break it? Imagine the glass flying everywhere, people getting cut and bleeding…_

"Quiet…"

I know that talking to the thoughts doesn't help, but ignoring them is like trying to ignore your own mind when it desperately wants to get your attention. I know that's hard to imagine, but…it's the best way I can describe it.

I go back to cleaning the floors, but my mind keeps going back to that blasted window.

 _You know the other clones look down on you, right? They think you're weak. And you're only proving them right by slacking off…_

"I said quiet!"

I catch myself talking out loud again. Some of the cadets are staring at me now. I shake my head and try to focus on sweeping. While I'm working, one of the younger cadets leaves his group and approaches me.

"Are you alright? Do you need help?"

I recognize the cadet. The others call him Beeswax, since he's always asking about other people's business.

"Oh…don't worry. I'm fine. You just go along with the others. I've got it."

Beeswax looks unconvinced, but he keeps walking so that he doesn't get left behind. Once my least favorite part of the job is done, it's back to the mess.

 _Step Four: Clean the mess hall after lunch._

This is basically the same as cleaning after breakfast. The only difference is that since it's later in the day, the boys tend to be a bit more rowdy. And today is no exception.

 _A fight…great…_

Not only is their food scattered everywhere, but chairs and tables are knocked over as well. And I think you know what that means…

 _You should probably check the underside of that table again._

 _Are you sure that chair is in the right place?_

 _What if someone slips on that pickle?_

 _How do you know there isn't more gum stuck in that waste bin?_

 _Maybe you should clean the halls one more time…_

I'm exhausted by the time I'm done. And I'm only halfway through the day.

 _Step Five: Clean the training area._

Thankfully, this is the easiest part of the job. I mean sure, there's the occasional practice droid to carry and the unlikely chance that a detonator went off and left a mark on one of the walls. But aside from that, it's just taking the blasters from their set positions and bringing them back to where I got them from.

I slowly make my way down one of the halls, making sure the blasters don't fall from my hands this time. I keep my eyes peeled to make sure I don't bump into anyone. Then suddenly, I hear Beeswax walk up behind me.

"Hey uh…99?"

I stop and turn around to look at him. I notice that he's got a blaster in his hand.

"I think you dropped this…"

"Oh, uh…I did?"

"Yeah. I'll put it in that pile for you."

While he places the blaster with the others in my hands, I start to worry.

 _What if I dropped more? What if one of them gets set off? What if someone gets hurt?_

"Did…did you see anymore back there?"

"Uh…no. I don't think so."

"I should go back and check."

"Wait, 99…"

I start to move back towards the training area. But after a couple steps, I trip and fall to the floor. The blasters scatter everywhere while passing clones try not to step on them.

"99!"

Beeswax leans down next to me and helps me get back up on my feet.

"Thanks, Beeswax."

Once I'm standing again, I get right to recollecting the blasters.

"I can help you with this."

"It's alright. I've got it under control."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You just run along. I'll be okay."

Beeswax looks even more worried than before. But with his group going to dinner, he keeps walking.

Eventually, I pick all of the blasters back up and return them to where I got them earlier. I feel like going back to bed and falling asleep. But there's still one more job left to do.

 _Step Six: Clean the mess hall after dinner._

Fortunately, this is the last time I have to visit this place for the day. However, it's also when the mess hall is at its most…messy. Discarded food, dropped utensils, fallen chairs…you name it, it's there. This is also when the thoughts get really bad. There are some nights where I end up staying in here for over three hours just from checking and double checking over and over again. I'm tired and sore all over. But I keep telling myself to work just a little longer.

 _You're almost there. After this, you can rest all night and eat and drink whatever you want._

So I get to work. And try to deal with all of the thoughts that come with it.

 _Clean this again._

 _Check that again._

 _Wipe this more._

 _Scrape that more._

 _Lift every chair and table a million times while doing backflips on a goose._

Okay, I made up that last one. But would you honestly be surprised?

After what feels like an eternity, the entire mess hall is finally clean. For a moment, I actually feel satisfied with what I've done. I feel…proud. But then the thoughts come back.

 _You call that clean? Look at the lint under that table!_

 _You probably forgot to fix the dispensers again._

 _Those chairs aren't where they should be._

 _What if those juices left stains on the floor?_

 _How do you know someone else won't come in the middle of the night and leave more for you to clean?_

 _You might as well just sleep here._

 _Unless you want them to think you aren't doing your job._

 _Why are you so slow?_

 _Why are you so lazy?_

 _Why do you put up with this?_

 _You'd rather be fighting with the others, wouldn't you?_

 _Or do you actually like being a nobody who just cleans up after everyone all day?_

 _You'll never amount to anything._

 _You'll always just be a defect._

 _A nobody._

 _A useless waste of space._

"SHUT UP!"

I've never yelled that loud before. I can hear my voice echo through the mess. I sit down on one of the chairs and try to calm down. I close my eyes and rub my face with my dry, cut-up hands. But the thoughts just keep coming.

 _I'm gonna be stuck like this forever…I'm so tired…I can't do this…I can't…_

"99!"

I look up towards the voice. I see Beeswax running over to me. He looks me in the eyes with the most worried expression I've ever seen on a cadet.

"99…is something wrong?"

I wanna tell him I'm fine. I wanna tell him I can handle it. But I can't. Not anymore.

"…Yes, Beeswax. There's something wrong."

Beeswax takes a seat next to me and I try my best to explain it to him. I'm afraid he won't understand. That he'll think I'm nuts. That he'll always think of me as that strange old defected clone who wanders around and talks to himself all day. But I can tell that he doesn't see me that way. I can tell he understands.

"I…I know what you're talking about! I have those kinds of thoughts, too. A lot, actually."

"And…how do you deal with them?"

"Well…if I think of something that I know isn't true, I take a moment to remind myself that it isn't true. Then I take a deep breath and I keep going. I mean, it doesn't always work and there are days where the thoughts are harder to deal with than usual. But doing that works a lot for me! Maybe it can work for you, too."

I think about it for a moment. Then I smile and stand back up.

"Alright. I'll give it a shot."

I look around the mess hall for a moment. Then I take a deep breath and talk to myself out loud.

"The mess hall is clean. I'm done here."

After that, I leave the mess with Beeswax. I thank him for the advice and he tells me to come see him whenever I need help. Then we both head back to our rooms. After a long day of working, I sit up in my bed and have a nice meal before drifting off to sleep.

And the next day, I try Beeswax's advice.

"The blasters are ready."

"The mess hall is clean."

"The windows are clean."

"The floors are clean."

"The blasters are put away."

"I'm done."

 _I'm done._

Like Beeswax said, there are days where the thoughts get worse and I have to take a longer time to calm down than usual. But this method he taught me has really helped me in the long run. I'm getting my work done much faster and I'm a lot less stressed than I used to be. In fact, my work seems to be getting easier and easier by the day. I still talk with Beeswax pretty often and we share our experiences dealing with these thoughts. We've been a great help to each other. And we're even starting to speak with other clones who have the same issues that we do.

My thoughts have gotten a lot easier for me to handle since then. And while they're still there and probably always will be, they're nowhere near as big of a hindrance as they used to be. So I'm gonna keep doing my work and offering help whenever I can.

After all…it's what I was bred for.


	2. The Droid Who Liked Me

The Droid Who Liked Me

From the moment I was activated, I hated being a battle droid.

Or at the very least, being a battle droid in the Separatist Droid Army.

Imagine this. You're built in a dingy old factory on the ass end of a dried-out dustball (and not even one of the popular ones like Tatooine or Jakku). Then once you're activated, you realize you've been programmed to put your artificial life on the line for a group of fascist dolts and their thespian grandfather. And once you officially become a part of their half-baked militia, you're constantly abused and berated by your superiors on a daily basis while also being reminded of just how useless and expendable you are to their idiotic cause.

Add the fact that your body has all the durability of a handkerchief and you've pretty much got my early life in a nutshell.

So yeah. Working for the Droid Army was basically Hell. (Actually, I take that back. Hell is probably a leisurely stroll on Alderaan compared to what I had to put up with back then.)

And I don't just loathe the Separatists for how they treated me. I loathe them for how they treat the galaxy at large. Invading innocent planets, holding their populations hostage, acting like they can just take whatever they want and treating everyone below them like garbage. It's disgusting.

And I'm not saying the current Republic is the second coming of Blotus or anything, but I would've much rather served with the Clone Army than with a bunch of mindless, walking hairdryers who can't even shoot the ground in front of them. Unfortunately, my impression at the time was that the clones hated droids and that they would shoot me on-sight if I tried asking them for an application form. And it's not exactly easy for a B1 battle droid to just leave the Droid Army. In fact, it's usually impossible.

So now you're probably asking yourself: What does a battle droid do when they hate the army they work for, but can never leave it? And the answer, my morbidly curious friend…is sabotage.

That's right. Every chance I had, I would do my best to sabotage the Droid Army and its many, many resources. From emptying the ammo from tanks and cannons to denting the spider droids' laser dishes, I took every opportunity to hinder the Droid Army and ensure Republic victories. I figured that if I couldn't defect from the Separatists, then I might as well help to make sure they don't cause anymore damage. So for months on end, I secretly assisted the Republic from within the Droid Army. Unfortunately, this meant having to constantly cover up my acts of sabotage, while also dealing with the daily abuse of being a B1 battle droid. I was glad to be making a change. But I was also afraid that I would forever be trapped in the Droid Army and see nothing but constant abuse from my superiors for the rest of my existence.

I was afraid of that…until we got to Naboo.

My patrol and I had been sent there to infiltrate a Republic base. We'd settled in a Separatist outpost a few dozen miles from our target. We were lead by a T-series tactical droid and armed with blasters and a couple Armored Assault Tanks. After one or two days of preparation, we marched out onto the fields of Naboo and gathered around the perimeter of the Republic base. Once we were in position, the tactical droid ordered us to attack. The clones started filing out as soon as the first wave of droids opened fire. And in the blink of an eye, I was in another battle.

It was an all too familiar scene; droids marching forward, clones shooting them, clones marching forward, droids shooting them by complete accident. It was the same as every other battle. Except for one thing.

This time, the clones actually had a droid with them. A medical droid to be more specific. And whoever this droid was, they were giving medical aid to the injured clones during the battle.

For a brief moment, I thought to myself. _If the Republic Army uses droids, maybe the clones would accept me into their ranks._ But then I remembered that a clone's first instinct when they see a battle droid is to shoot without hesitation. Not that I blame them for that. Hell, I would've gladly shot the other battle droids if I could get away with it. But it didn't help to remember that I was basically stuck in this blasted Droid Army for the rest of my days.

So after embracing the depressing reality of my existence, I quickly got to work. While the other droids were distracted, I snuck over to one of the AATs and used a pair of pliers to cut the wiring in its laser armaments. I stealthily repeated this process with the other AATs until they were pretty much useless. With the tanks out of the way, the Droid Army was starting to lose ground and the clones were gaining the upper hand. My work here was almost done.

Like every other time I'd done this, I finished sabotaging the last AAT and then carefully looked around to make sure no one had seen me. Except this time, someone had.

It was the Republic medical droid, watching me in awe as I'd helped to secure my own patrol's defeat. Surprised that I'd been spotted for the first time, I found myself staring back at the medical droid in the midst of the battle. Our optical sensors remained locked on one another as I tried to figure out what to do next.

And then, blast to the face.

In retrospect, I probably deserved it for just standing out in the open like that. I still have no idea which side of the fight the blast came from. Personally, I like to think it was the universe's way of telling me, _Hey! You're in a fight, dumbass!_

Anyway, the next thing I remember is waking up in what looked like a workshop. I was lying down on a bench, surrounded by boxes filled with different tools and parts. I looked around for a little while until I heard a voice coming from another room.

"Ah! You're awake!"

Then, I saw a metal door open and someone step out from behind it. It was the medical droid who'd seen me during the battle. After closing the door, the droid approached me as I sat up on the bench. They immediately started asking questions.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Feeling? Uh…I'm not. I don't have nerves. Or a brain, for that matter."

"Neither do I. But I still experience sensations similar to feeling. What sensations are you experiencing right now?"

"I don't know. I guess…confusion? Relief? But mostly confusion?"

"Then allow me to explain what's going on. My designation is 1B-5768. I am currently repairing the damages you sustained during the battle yesterday. We are inside of the Republic base, but no one knows you're in here but me. Do you have any questions?"

"Uh…yeah. For starters, why are you helping me?"

"Because I saw you sabotaging those tanks before you were shot. I realized you must've been on our side and decided to fix you up in secret."

"So the clones don't know I'm here?"

"No. But once I'm done repairing you, I'll introduce you to them and let them know you want to help."

"…But what if they blast me?"

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen."

The medical droid then picked up a wrench and started repairing one of my legs.

"Pardon me. I forgot to ask for your designation."

"My designation? It's…B1-903."

We continued to talk while they worked on my leg.

"So what led you to turn on the Separatists?"

"Heh. The better question would be what didn't? They're a bunch of old tyrants who couldn't lead a Tusken to a Bantha. And the Droid Army itself is a collection of simple-minded sheep who would march off a cliff if you told them to. Believe me. I tried it once and it worked."

"Heh heh. You're very different from the other battle droids."

"Thank God."

"How long have you been sabotaging them for?"

"Since the day I was activated. Which was at least a couple years ago."

"And you've kept it a secret this whole time?"

"Well it's not like I have a choice. Unless I want to give Grievous a reason to punch me in the face. Which he already does anyway."

"Why not just defect and join the Republic?"

I stopped for a moment and thought about whether or not I should tell the truth. After deciding that I could trust 1B-5768, I gave them the real answer.

"To be honest…it's because I'm afraid. I'm afraid of being hunted down by the Droid Army for betraying them, or being shot by the clones the minute they see me. And I don't just wanna be a burning pile of scrap while the rest of the galaxy goes to Hell. I want to help stop the Separatists. I want to do whatever I can to make sure they never hurt another planet again. I just want to do…something. And I would join the Republic in a heartbeat, but…I don't know if it's going to let me."

After a moment of silence, 1B-5768 stood up and put their hand on mine.

"B1-903…I promise that I won't let any harm come to you if you join the Republic."

Our optical sensors locked on each other again. And then I said something I never thought I'd say to anyone.

"…Thanks."

1B-5768 then nodded and let go of my hand. And I said one more thing to them before letting them get back to their work.

"By the way…you can just call me B1."

1B-5768 nodded again in agreement.

"That works. And you can call me 1B."

For the next few weeks, 1B continued to repair the damages done to my body. I was impressed by how they were able to keep my presence a secret from the clones for so long. With each passing day, another part of my body was fixed. And I was slowly regaining all of the movements and abilities I had before.

Once my legs were completely fixed, 1B helped me to walk again. They held me up and offered support while I tried not to fall over and break myself. And once my arms were repaired, 1B and I did target practice in the base's training area while no one else was using it.

We'd also pass the time by telling stories about our times serving the Republic and the Separatists. And on some nights, 1B would even bring in recordings of bad Naboo holodramas for us to laugh at.

Despite the fact that I was barely functional during those weeks, they were also some of the most pleasant weeks I'd ever experienced. And after giving it a bit of thought, I finally figured out why. For the first time in my life, I didn't have to worry about making sure the other battle droids didn't discover my acts of sabotage. Or bracing myself for whatever bouts of verbal abuse I would take from my superiors. Or getting replacements for whichever limbs Grievous had felt like ripping off that day.

For the first time in my life, I was happy.

And it was because of 1B and how they'd treated me. How they'd helped me and cared for me. How they actually seemed to… _like_ me.

And I'd grown to like them.

Once my body was fully repaired, 1B and I decided to celebrate by going to one of Naboo's beaches. We sat on a rock and observed the peaceful scenery for what must've been hours. While the sun started to set in front us, 1B turned to me and asked me a question.

"B1?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you're ready for the clones to see you?"

"…Yeah. I think I am."

"You know I won't let them shoot you, right?"

"I know. I trust you."

We were silent for a moment. And then I spoke again.

"…Thank you, 1B. For everything."

"It's no trouble. I look forward to serving in the Republic with you."

I nodded and then turned back to the sunset. While we were both watching, I reached over and held onto 1B's hand. Then their hand held onto mine. And neither of us let go until the sun had gone down.

The next morning, we prepared to meet with the clones and the rest of the personnel in the Republic base. I left my blaster in 1B's workshop so that no one would see me as a threat. Before we walked through the door, 1B turned to me and asked me what they'd asked me before.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

And with that, we both left the workshop and walked down the hall. Eventually, we reached the central meeting room. Pretty much all of the clones and Republic staff present in the base were gathered in that room. Right before we entered together, 1B looked me in the optical sensors, held my hand and nodded. With that, I knew I was safe.

And so together, a battle droid and a medical droid hand-in-hand, we stepped into the meeting room and stood before everyone. The clones' immediate reactions were understandable, ranging from confused to suspicious. But 1B and I carefully explained ourselves and what we'd been doing for the past few weeks. And then I told them that I had knowledge of the Separatist outpost which resided only a few dozen miles from this very base. The rest of the staff told 1B that they should've been informed of my presence from the moment I was brought in, to which 1B responded that they didn't want to do it until I was repaired and ready.

After a long discussion, the clones and the rest of the base's personnel finally accepted me and allowed me to give what information I had.

I told them about the outpost's current number of droids and weapons, and informed them of how to get past even its toughest security measures. Eventually, we had an entire plan laid out for how we would destroy this outpost and keep the Separatists from ever returning to Naboo.

The clones agreed to allow me and 1B to go with them and give assistance, with me offering fire power and 1B offering medical aid.

Finally, after years and years of keeping secrets and being mistreated, I had officially left the Droid Army. I had defected from the Separatists. And now, I would be able to fight against them in ways I never could before. I was no longer just another useless, expendable battle droid. I was a battle droid who would help to destroy the Droid Army and end the Separatists' tyranny forever.

All thanks to 1B.

Before we headed out with the clones, 1B and I went back to the workshop where I'd been repaired. We gathered our equipment and prepared to leave for yet another battle. As we faced the door, 1B turned back to me and asked me once more.

"Are you ready?"

To which I once again responded.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

The two of us then left for the Separatist outpost, with me holding up my blaster, 1B holding up their syringes, and our free hands clasped together the entire way there.


	3. Hey, Dad

Hey, Dad.

 _Hey, Dad._

 _Sorry I haven't written in a while. Things've been crazy around here. I've been transferred from Mirrin Prime and recruited into the Resistance. I don't know if you've heard of them. Long story short, they're a small military force that thinks the Republic isn't taking the First Order seriously. And to be honest, I agree with them._

 _Just a little while ago, my squadron and I came under attack by a group of TIE fighters. We won the fight, but Muran was killed. I told Major Deso that we should investigate the attack, but my request was denied. So I did my own reconnaissance mission with BB-8 while my squadron was on patrol. During the mission, we found a First Order staging point and had to avoid about two dozen TIEs. It was a close call, but we managed to escape. Afterwards, I was met by General Organa, who offered me a spot in the Resistance. And I accepted._

 _I know it sounds shady, but I need you to trust me on this. The Republic lets the First Order do whatever they want and the Senate doesn't even see them as a real threat. But I've seen them in action. I know what they're capable of. And if the Republic doesn't do something about them soon, I have a feeling they're gonna cause some serious damage._

 _I know the First Order is planning something. And I'm not just gonna sit around until it happens. I know that you wouldn't. And I know that Mom wouldn't. So I need you to understand why I've made this decision. I haven't left the Republic and I never will. But I can't follow their orders anymore. I have to work outside of their boundaries if I'm going to protect them from the First Order._

 _I hope you understand. I promise I'll be safe. The Resistance is made up of great people and General Organa is a great leader. And we're going to do everything we can to stop the First Order. And who knows? Maybe once they're taken care of, I'll finally have the time to visit you. It's been a long time since I've breathed that crisp Yavin air. And I'd love to see if that tree is still there._

 _I know you miss me, Dad. And I promise I'll be home soon. I'll even introduce you to BB-8. He's been dying to meet you. Also, remind me to bring some drinks so we can celebrate when the First Order finally burns to the ground._

 _Love you and hope to see you soon._

 _\- Poe_


	4. Wat's In Charge

Wat's In Charge

Battle Droid #1: Hey Private!

Battle Droid #2: Yeah?

Battle Droid #1: Can I ask you something?

Battle Droid #2: Sure.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge of the Techno Union?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge of the Techno Union?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: I said who's in charge of the Techno Union?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: Are you malfunctioning?! I said who's in charge!

Battle Droid #2: Wat's in charge!

Battle Droid #1: That's what I'm asking _you_! What's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Yes.

Battle Droid #1: _Yes_ is in charge?

Battle Droid #2: No, he's out sick.

Battle Droid #1: Then who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: I said who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: Do you need repairs?! I said who's in charge!

Battle Droid #2: Wat's in charge!

Battle Droid #1: That's what I'm asking _you_! What's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Exactly!

Battle Droid #1: _Exactly_ is in charge?

Battle Droid #2: No, she's on vacation.

Battle Droid #1: Then who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: I said who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat's in charge!

Battle Droid #1: Why are you asking _me_?!

Battle Droid #2: I'm not asking you! I'm telling you Wat's in charge!

Battle Droid #1: *rubs head* Okay. Let's start over. Private?

Battle Droid #2: Yes?

Battle Droid #1: Do you know about the Techno Union?

Battle Droid #2: Yes.

Battle Droid #1: Do you know who's in _charge_ of the Techno Union?

Battle Droid #2: Yes.

Battle Droid #1: Can you _tell_ me who's in charge of the Techno Union?

Battle Droid #2: Yes.

Battle Droid #1: So who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?

Battle Droid #2: Wat.

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: Who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat!

Battle Droid #1: I said who's in charge?!

Battle Droid #2: Wat's in charge!

Battle Droid #1: Why do you keep changing the pronoun?!


	5. The Last Geonosian

The Last Geonosian

K'riit C'ladd could feel the egg moving in his hands.

He'd hoped against hope that it wouldn't hatch until he'd brought it to a safe nesting area. But ever since the sterilization, Geonosis was anything but safe.

Imperial gas canisters had nearly wiped out the entire Geonosian population, leaving only a handful of survivors scattered about the planet. K'riit C'ladd was one of the lucky ones who'd escaped from the catacombs before the poison began to spread. He could still recall the shrieks of confusion and terror from the other Geonosians as they all fled to the surface. Their desperate gasps for air and the sickening sight of their bodies falling around him remained fresh in his mind.

For weeks after the sterilization, he'd wandered through the vast deserts of Geonosis, asking himself why _he'd_ survived. Why _he'd_ been spared of the gruesome fate his fellow workers had met. Why _he'd_ been allowed to live while the others had not.

And then, he found the egg.

K'riit C'ladd knew a Queen egg when he saw one, and he never questioned where it came from. He was just grateful that he'd been able to find and preserve it. With a new Queen, his species could repopulate and rebuild their society. They could leave Geonosis and start a new life for themselves away from the Empire. And it all potentially rested on the survival of a single egg.

With the future of his species literally in his hands, K'riit C'ladd took every precaution to protect the Queen egg. Even before the sterilization, he'd been extremely cautious and fearful of the world around him. And now that the survival of the Geonosians was at stake, his paranoia had reached its apex. He found himself resting less and less, to the point that he'd started drifting in and out of consciousness and seeing things that weren't there. These past few months had easily been the hardest of his life.

But regardless of the hardships, he pressed onwards in his search for secure nesting grounds that were unaffected by the poison. And today, his search had led him to some of the deepest catacombs on Geonosis.

K'riit C'ladd had been in countless dark caverns throughout his life. But even those couldn't have prepared him for this. These hidden catacombs were virtually devoid of light, posing a challenge for even the most seasoned worker. And the lack of sound would make navigation that much more difficult.

K'riit C'ladd could only hear himself gulp as he tightened his grip on the egg and stepped into the pitch-black passageways.

As a worker, he'd always been surrounded by members of his hive who would keep him on track and guide him towards his next objective. That'd made exploring the catacombs by himself an almost alien experience. And no matter how used to it he'd gotten, he couldn't help but feel naked without his hive gathered around him. He kept telling himself that he'd have a brand new hive once the Geonosian Queen hatched and his species repopulated. But he still couldn't help but miss the Geonosians he'd worked with for decades.

Hours passed as K'riit C'ladd wandered deeper and deeper into the catacombs. Had they not been so cold, he would've sworn they led directly to the center of Geonosis. The dark tunnels went on forever without any clear pattern or direction. Most catacombs on Geonosis were designed for a specific purpose. But these catacombs seemed to make themselves up as they went along. And the absence of sight or sound made retracing one's steps all but impossible.

K'riit C'ladd had kept the egg tightly wrapped in his arms to keep it warm. But he noticed its movements becoming less and less frequent. He couldn't help but fear the worst.

He imagined the last Geonisian Queen dying in his arms as he wandered aimlessly in an abandoned cave.

He imagined the last of his species disappearing from the galaxy forever.

He imagined himself dying alone with an unborn infant.

And then, he fell through the ground.

A weak layer of dirt had given out beneath his feet, causing him to fall into an even deeper cavern.

K'riit C'ladd made sure to land on his back to protect the egg. His exoskeleton lessened the impact as he collided with the sharp rocks below. After making sure the egg was unscathed, he quickly stood back up and observed his surroundings. He was relieved to find that he could actually see now. But what he saw was unlike anything he'd seen before.

The dirt walls of this tunnel were covered with wires and metal plating. And the ground was littered with scattered floor tiles that just barely formed a path through the cavern. K'riit C'ladd looked up and noticed a faint, orange light emanating from the end of the tunnel. Hoping for a way out, he maintained his grip on the egg and walked towards the light.

As he moved forward, he noticed his surroundings becoming more and more industrial. The layers of dirt were replaced by steel barriers, and the jagged stalagmites were replaced by blast doors that had long ceased to function. K'riit C'ladd could feel a sickening chill run through his body as he remembered the abhorrent droid factories that once littered his home.

Eventually, he reached the source of the light. It seemed to be coming from the inside of a large shell protruding from the tunnel wall. This shell appeared metallic, but also reminded K'riit C'ladd of the eggs that his hive's queen would lay. Keeping the Queen egg protected, he stepped closer to look inside the shell. Upon seeing its interior, he immediately recoiled in shock.

Inside the shell was a B1 battle droid. But this battle droid was strikingly different from the others he'd seen. Its armor had deteriorated to the point that its wiring was hanging out. And it seemed to have wing-like peripherals attached to its back.

K'riit C'ladd frantically looked around to see if there were more of these battle droids in the area. And sure enough, there were. Dozens of modified battle droids lying dormant inside artificial shells. Realizing the danger he was in, K'riit C'ladd turned back towards the tunnel's entrance and attempted to escape.

But that was when the battle droids woke up.

The modified droids broke through their metallic shells as they emerged from their slumber. Swarming like flies, they quickly surrounded K'ritt C'ladd and took hold of him. He tried to protect the Queen egg as the droids dragged him deeper into the cavern.

K'riit C'ladd soon found himself being forced into a large, circular room. Unlike the rest of the tunnel, this room seemed to be entirely mechanical. Old consoles, scattered wiring and more shells containing modified battle droids seemed to fill the area. But at the very center of the room was a large, still figure that K'riit C'ladd vaguely recognized. As the droids dragged him closer and closer to the center, the figure slowly began to take shape. Eventually, the droids stopped moving and forced K'riit C'ladd to stand back up. As he hid the egg behind his back, he watched as the figure stirred from its stillness and turned around to face the droids. He felt his heart stop as he saw the figure's face and realized who they were.

The former Geonosian Queen.

Karina the Great gazed down at K'riit C'ladd with a look of perplexity on her face. She had visibly aged since the last time he'd seen her. Her exoskeleton was cracking, and her limbs had grown more brittle. And her reaction to seeing another Geonosian indicated that she'd been isolated for some time. After recovering from the shock of seeing his Queen alive again, K'riit C'ladd noticed that Karina's womb had been replaced by an amalgamation of mechanical parts. These parts seemed to work in tandem with one another and supply power to the shells that contained the modified battle droids. Narrowing her eyes and repositioning herself on the massive machine, Karina the Great slowly spoke to K'riit C'ladd.

 _"_ _You…are…Geonosian?"_

Keeping the egg hidden, K'riit C'ladd hesitantly nodded in response.

 _"_ _I did not know that others had survived…Are you alone?_ "

He nodded once again, his eyes darting back and forth between Karina the Great and her battle droids.

 _"_ _You will be a great addition to my Empire…But first…_ "

She motioned towards the modified droids.

 _"_ _You will need to be altered…like my children…"_

The droids then started moving again.

 _"_ _With their parts…you will live forever…"_

They were surrounding K'riit Cladd and reaching out to him.

 _"_ _You will live_ ** _here_** _forever…"_

They were reaching for the egg.

 _"_ _With_ ** _us_** _…"_

Without a second thought, K'riit C'ladd leapt into the air and began to escape. Karina the Great immediately sent her droid children after him.

 _"_ _Catch him! NOW!"_

K'riit C'ladd kept the egg in his hands as he ran back towards the hole he'd fallen through. He could hear the droids chasing him while their Queen shouted to them.

 _"_ _Catch him!_ ** _Catch him_** _!_ ** _CATCH HIM_** _!"_

Just barely managing to outrun his pursuers, K'riit C'ladd tried not to trip on the wires and paneling that lined the rest of the tunnel. Eventually, he reached the hole and quickly jumped through it. As the droids attempted to climb up after him, he blindly ran through the pitch-black catacombs hoping to find a way out. He ran as fast as he could while the egg started moving again in his hands. He didn't care how he'd escape from these forsaken tunnels. And he didn't care how long it'd take for him to navigate them again. His only objective now was to leave this place and never return.

After what seemed like an hour, K'riit C'ladd found what appeared to be a small beam of light poking through one of the dirt walls. While keeping the egg protected, he charged towards the wall hoping to push through it. And as soon as he collided with the layer of dirt, it quickly fell away.

In a split second, K'riit C'ladd seemed to have been transported back to the surface of the planet. After allowing his eyes to readjust to the bright light, he looked around and found himself in one of Geonosis's many steep canyons. He'd broken through the tunnel wall and now stood on a cliff that seemed to protrude from the lower half of the canyon. After hours of wandering aimlessly through a series of endless tunnels, he was finally safe.

After making sure the egg was unharmed, K'riit C'ladd sat down and took a moment to breathe. He gazed up at the planet's dusty, cloud-ridden skies and found himself admiring them more than he ever had before.

He didn't know what would become of Karina the Great and her droid subjects. And he still didn't know how long it would take for him to find a safe nesting area. But in that moment, he didn't care.

All that mattered was that he and the Queen egg were both still alive. And that there was still hope for his species. Hope that they would eventually return to their great numbers. Hope that they would finally be able to live in peace. Hope that the Geonosians would thrive once again.

There was still hope. And that was all that mattered.


	6. You Can't Clone Comedy

You Can't Clone Comedy

 _What do you call Kit Fisto when he's giving medical assistance?_

 _First Aid Kit!_

Go ahead. Groan. Cringe. Roll your eyes. You're probably doing it right now. Which kinda defeats the purpose of me telling you to, but whatever.

I know my brand of comedy isn't for everyone. To put it mildly. But I'll be damned if I don't love sharing it.

Right now, you're probably asking yourself "Who is this guy and why is he pretending to talk to me when he obviously wrote this at an earlier time?" Well, my nondescript friend, allow me to elaborate.

My official designation was CT-8005. But my brothers called me Boos. Since that's what I always got when I tried to be funny.

I grew up in a pretty big family on Kamino. We were all top-notch, first class soldiers living on a tropical resort. Okay, that's a lie. We were actually lab rats in a fetus factory being raised to fight for complete strangers. But we made the most of it. Despite our reputation for being cold, stoic and conditioned from birth to be loyal, we were actually quite independent. We each had our own personalities and interests. We treated each other like brothers and didn't hesitate to speak up for ourselves when we needed to. We gave ourselves nicknames, decorated our rooms and armor, and we even had our own hobbies outside of being cannon fodder.

Mine was comedy.

I would stay up late at night watching stand-up routines on the HoloNet and reading memoirs from famous comedians across the galaxy. I would even sneak in a couple joke books and keep a private journal to keep track of all the ideas I'd come up with. I spent months and months writing down hundreds of jokes and testing them out on different clones, Jedi and senators.

 _Why does Aayla have cameras set up in her room?_

 _So she can feel more Secura!_

 _Why do droids end up becoming soldiers?_

 _Because nobody else wants to B1!_

 _Why wasn't Senator Organa at the Senate meeting last week?_

 _Because he had to Bail on them!_

I think you can probably guess how that went.

Despite my associates not being too keen on my sense of humor, I remained confident in my endeavors to become a great comedian. Not wanting to limit myself to just a working environment, I decided to expand my audience by heading into Galactic City.

During my free time on Coruscant, I wandered into the big city and managed to get into Ziro the Hutt's former palace. After Ziro's arrest, his palace had been bought by a Crolute named Aantu Plutt, who turned it into a night club called Plutt's Place. Over the past few months, Plutt's Place had become a popular spot for citizens and tourists alike, offering countless forms of catering and entertainment. And one of these forms of entertainment was an open-mic night that would be held once every week.

That was when I'd make my move.

On the night I arrived, the night club was packed with visitors of all different species. Some young, some old, some tall, some short. But all of them were eager for something to grab their attention. Something to blow them away. And none of the acts they were seeing that night seemed to be impressing them.

Until now.

Fixing my tie and taking a deep breath, I took to the stage and began my act.

I kicked it off with one of my best jokes.

"Why doesn't General Grievous go to parties?"

I waited a second before delivering the punchline.

"Because he has no **body** to go with!"

I then watched for the audience's response. And I saw…

…nothing.

The attendants continued to eat, drink and talk as if I wasn't there.

Trying not to lose focus, I went straight to my next joke.

"What did the Separatists say to Dooku when he gave them too many droids?"

I gulped.

"Count, Dooku!"

And again…nothing. I was speaking into the mic. My voice was loud and clear. Everybody could hear me. But none of the spectators had even **glanced** in my direction.

I was starting to get nervous. But I took another breath and kept going.

"What did Cato Parasitti…say to Cad Bane…in the parking lot?"

I was choking up.

"Is it…oh…Cato…park here?"

Still nothing. Not a single reaction from anyone. I'd gotten used to the boos. The groans. The eye rolls. I thought I'd be ready for whatever negative reactions I would get. But that night, I discovered something far worse than booing or groaning or cringing.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

I would've taken food being thrown at me over silence. Because that night, when I was giving it my all and getting no reaction whatsoever, I felt…invisible. I felt worthless. I felt like I had no reason to be there. Like I'd wasted my time. Like I should just give up.

My heart was racing. My hands were shaking. I was sweating like crazy. I felt empty and alone on that stage, standing in front of dozens of people who didn't even want to acknowledge my existence. I wasn't just nervous. I was scared. Terrified. I just wanted everything to stop so I could disappear forever and never show my face there again.

After standing still for what felt like an eternity, I finally said "I'm sorry" and then left the stage.

I immediately ran to the rest room and leaned over the sink. I looked into the mirror and saw that I was drenched in sweat. Feeling like I might throw up, I washed my face and tried to control my breathing. But I couldn't stop myself from panicking.

 _Oh God…I choked…I messed up…I'm done…I'm not funny…I'll never be funny…What was I thinking…_

"Hey."

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I quickly turned around and saw a Rodian standing behind me.

"You okay?"

I hadn't seen him in the crowd, but I assumed he'd seen my disaster of a performance. But he didn't look mad or annoyed. He looked concerned.

"You need some help?"

After catching my breath and rubbing the sweat off my forehead, I answered him while still holding myself up on the sink.

"Sorry…I just…I just got nervous…I didn't mean to…"

The Rodian put his hand back on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.

"Hey, hey. Relax. Everyone gets stage fright. How 'bout we sit down and have a drink?"

Finally starting to calm down, I nodded and left the rest room with him.

Once we were back in the night club, we sat down at a two-person table. The Rodian offered me a drink as he spoke.

"My name's Chu. Chu Celks."

I took a sip and then gave him my name.

"I'm Boos."

"Nice to meet you, Boos. Is this your first time on stage?"

"Yeah. And probably my last."

"Hey, don't say that. Just 'cause you didn't do great tonight doesn't mean you shouldn't try again."

"I **can't** do that again. It felt awful. It felt like…like I was **nothing**. Like I was…"

"Alone?"

"…Yeah."

"Trust me, buddy. I've been there. I've been doing stand-up since before the Clone Wars. I've done at least a hundred shows this past year alone. And y'know how many times I've bombed?"

"How many?"

"A **lot**. And yeah. It sucks. It feels terrible. But you shouldn't let it stop you from following your passion. The first time I really bombed was at a **wedding** , for God's sake. I still remember the taste of the cake as the bride threw it at my head."

"Heh heh. And you've gotten better since then?"

"Oh definitely. But I **still** have a dud show every now and again. And that's okay. It doesn't matter how many times you choke in front of a crowd. What matters is how you **learn** from that experience and improve your act because of it. I watched you on that stage and saw that you were **thrilled** to be up there. That you wanted to make those people laugh. And could your act use some work? Sure. Hell, even **mine** still needs some work. But that's what comedy's about. Seeing what works and what doesn't and using that knowledge to improve your craft. And I'd be **happy** to help you with your act, Boos."

"Really?"

"Sure! Us comedians have gotta stick together, right? In fact, here. Take my number."

Chu handed me a slip of paper with a contact number written on it.

"Feel free to call me anytime for advice. You may not have impressed this crowd tonight, but I have a feeling you'll have them rolling in no time. Think you'd be interested in performing here again after you get some practice?"

"Yeah. I would, actually.

"Great! I'm doing another show in a few minutes, so I should probably be heading out. But don't be afraid to call me up, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you!"

"No problem, Boos! Don't be a stranger!"

The next night I was free, I called up Chu Celks and went over my routine with him. We talked for hours and hours about our acts and our senses of humor. He offered me advice on how I could improve my act and how to deal with stage fright. Soon, I was practicing my routine every night and getting better and better at staying focused.

Once I was on Coruscant again, I went back to Plutt's Place and met up with Chu near the stage. It was open-mic night again. And this time, I was ready. Chu and I went over my routine until it was time for me to go up. Once it was, I fixed my tie, took a deep breath, walked onto the stage and began my act.

And this time, I did great.

All of the fear and uncertainty I'd felt during my first performance was suddenly gone. The crowd wasn't ignoring me. And they weren't jeering me either. They were **laughing**. They were all watching me and enjoying my routine. And I could feel my confidence rising with every joke that landed. I never lost focus and never lost momentum. I felt energized and in control the entire time I was on stage. It was one of the greatest feelings I'd ever experienced.

Once my act was done, the crowd applauded and I left the stage. Chu ran up to me and gave me a hug.

"You were great up there!"

"Thanks!"

"I told you you'd knock 'em dead! How'd it feel?"

"Great! It felt great!"

"Think you wanna do it again?"

"Definitely."

"Awesome. Now how 'bout a drink? On me?"

"Sounds good."

Nowadays, I'm doing shows all over Coruscant. And even though people aren't booing me anymore, I've decided not to change my nickname. I dunno. Boos just has a nice ring to it. And Chu is still my partner; in more ways than one. We've been dating for about a year now and we're even talking about tying the knot.

Now I know what you're thinking. "But what about the brain chip and Order 66?!" Don't worry. I had mine removed before the order was issued. And the Empire can go screw itself.

A lot of my brothers were lost to Order 66. And the rest of the free clones and I will always remember them. We may not have always gotten along, but we loved each other. And we still do.

Sorry to get all sentimental all of a sudden, but I figured you'd wanna know. Anyway, that's the story of how I became the galaxy's only clone comedian. Try to catch one of my shows if you get the chance. I'm performing again at Plutt's Place in a couple days.

And even if you don't drink, you can always get some Boos.


	7. A Visit from Bacca

A Visit from Bacca

T'was the night before Life Day, when all through Kashyyyk,

The Wookiees had just settled down for the week,

Their houses which hung from the tops of the trees,

Kept them safe and warm in the cold forest breeze,

The children were nestled by the light of the moon,

In hopes the Great Bacca would visit them soon,

Yet the guards were awake, bowcasters in hand,

Just in case any trespassers came to their land,

When out by the sea there arose such a clatter,

They ran from their posts to see what was the matter,

Away to the shoreline they went in a hurry,

As the snowflakes fell and the animals scurried,

To the edge of the shore they eventually came,

Only to find that things looked just about the same,

When what to their wandering eyes did appear,

But a small group of ships in Kashyyyk's atmosphere,

With twin ion engines to make their turns tighter,

The Wookiees knew in a moment they must be TIE fighters,

Their bowcasters ready, they began to take aim,

When they heard another Wookiee call them by name,

"Now, Alrrark! Now, Chalmun! Now, Greybok and Tarr!

On, Gungi! On, Harrgun! On, Roshyk and Yarr!

To defeat these invaders, you must split them apart!

Spread out! Spread out! Give yourselves a head start!"

The guards spoke not a word, but obeyed the command,

Spreading themselves out on the coarse, rough sand,

More rapid than Kinrath, the TIE fighters flew,

But luckily, the Wookiees knew just what to do,

Each Wookiee fired from a different location,

Forcing the fighters to break their formation,

As they tried to keep up with their targets below,

They neared the tall trees and forced themselves to go slow,

While the ships were distracted and unable to fight,

The guards raised their weapons and kept the fighters in sight,

Each Wookiee then fired a shot towards the sky,

Which weaved through the tree tops and damaged a TIE,

Remaining on guard and still paying attention,

The guards heard the crackling of each ion engine,

As they held up their weapons and were standing their ground,

The TIE fighters finally fell with a bound,

The explosions from the crash caused the forest to glow,

Though the fires were quickly suppressed by the snow,

Once the guards were safe, they all looked for the Wookiee,

Who had called out and helped them as if they were rookies,

They heard a loud roar and then started to blanch,

When they saw an old Wookiee standing still on a branch,

He was tall and old, his fur a dark shade,

And he held the Great Bacca's Ceremonial Blade,

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Gave the Wookiees to know they had nothing to dread,

With his sword in its sheath and his fur still unkempt,

And giving a nod, into the forest he went,

The guards watched in awe as the Great Bacca dashed,

He'd been there for a moment, and was now gone in a flash,

But they heard him exclaim, ere he leapt out of sight,

"Happy Life Day to all, and to all a good night!"


	8. Diary of a Nobody

Diary of a Nobody

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Something amazing happened today! My friends and I were working in the labor camp when we heard a noise coming from outside. We snuck past the stormtroopers and peaked over the gate to see what was going on. That was when we saw a huge ship landing near our houses! It was a kind of ship I'd never seen before. It kinda reminded me of the Alderaan ships in my books, but I didn't think anyone from Alderaan would wanna come to Wobani._

 _Once the ship landed, a human girl walked out with a couple of guards. She looked a few years older than me and was dressed like a queen or a senator. We watched her talk with a couple of stormtroopers and then leave to meet with the officer in charge. A little while later, she came back and started talking with some of the other kids and their parents. She was asking them about their talents and how they'd been living._

 _And then, she started bringing them onto her ship. Everyone who was brought on board looked really happy, and some of them were even crying. My friends and I overheard them talking about finding a new home and starting a new life. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Someone from Alderaan had come to save us from the Empire._

 _Before we could finish watching, we were found by a couple of stormtroopers who made us get back to work. But even as we dug for minerals, we could hear the others cheering as they were brought aboard the girl's ship. Once they were all onboard, we watched as the girl's ship lifted off the ground and flew away._

 _Even though we weren't brought aboard ourselves, I know now that there's hope for us getting off this planet and breaking free from the Empire. I know now that there are people out there in the galaxy who care about us and want to help us. We aren't just nobodies like the stormtroopers keep saying we are. We're somebodies. We're important. And someday, we'll be free._

Three years later…

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today, I heard that one of the labor camp's turbo tanks was seized by a group of rebels. The stormtroopers keep telling us it was just a fluke in the camp's security. But I know better. The stories about the Rebellion are true. Lothal, Ryloth, Jalindi…they're all true. The Empire is coming down. The people of the galaxy are rising up. And so are we._

 _I've arranged an escape ship for me and a few others. We've all agreed that it's time for us to leave the Empire for good. Once we escape, we're going to go to the Rebellion and ask for their help in freeing Wobani. And then once we've freed our friends and families, we're going to join the rebels in their fight against the Empire._

 _Princess Leia Organa took a stand for all of us. And now, we're taking a stand for ourselves. We're done working in this camp. We're done being treated like dirt. We're done being called nobodies. Today, we fight back. Today, we rise up._

 _Today, we rebel._


	9. I Am Sith

I Am Sith

The Count is here.

I can sense his power from within the arena walls.

I listen intently as he converses with the host outside. I can tell he's reaching out. Trying to sense me. But he will not.

Not yet.

I wait for the host to lead him to his seat inside the arena. Once he sits down to observe the many warriors vying for his attention, I prepare my weapons and get into position.

These warriors believe they've been summoned to demonstrate their skills for the Sith. But I would not have invited Count Dooku to my world just so he could watch some Wild Space trash beg for his approval.

Rather, I have summoned these warriors, as well as the host, to aid in the demonstration of my own skills.

Not that they know that, of course.

As the Count watches impatiently, I approach the host from behind, using the Force to mask my presence.

And then…I strike.

The host's neck snaps with a mere flick of my wrist. As he collapses, I take his seat next to Count Dooku.

The Count, despite not looking in my direction, quickly takes note of my action.

"Impressive. You mask your presence well. Flawless timing. Perfect control. You have great skill of infiltration. My host would applaud your abilities…posthumously. However, I am not looking for a spy."

Then begins the next stage of my demonstration.

I leap from the viewing room and enter the arena, disposing of my disguise and preparing for combat. The warriors immediately turn on me, most likely in a display of ruthlessness.

It will be their last mistake.

Utilizing my natural agility and skill with the Force, I quickly dispatch three of the warriors. The rest charge at me in a blind rage. I wait for them to get close, and then use the Force to crush them with stalactites.

The final warrior is by far the easiest.

A quick, precise strike from my old master's lightsaber ends their life immediately, leaving me as the only surviving one in the arena.

The Count applauds my performance, and I bow in response.

"You are more powerful than I had sensed."

"The dark side is strong in me. For I am Sith."

The Count laughs.

"A bold claim. But you are not Sith."

He then descends from his viewing room to meet me in the arena. I hear the arrogance in his voice as he approaches me.

"You wear the trappings of the Sith. You fight like the Sith. But this can be imitated, however. You lack a vital quality found in all Sith. Sith have no fear. And I sense much fear in you."

 _Fear?!_

 _How dare he…_

"You are a foolish old man who knows nothing of the dark side!"

The Count chuckles.

"Indeed."

I bare my lightsabers and prepare to give him a more personal demonstration. But before I can attack, I am consumed by lightning. I can feel it burning my skin and tearing through my body.

And then…darkness.

A short while later, I awaken. I am now in a palace. On a world I do not recognize.

After searching my surroundings, I find my lightsabers lying on a table.

But as I got to retrieve them, I sense him again.

I leap out of the way as the Count attacks me from behind. I then use the Force to call my lightsabers to me. Once they are activated, the Count and I engage one another.

I can feel his raw strength as I block his lightsaber with my own. As our weapons clash, he taunts me with an amused look on his face.

"Truly, if you were Sith, would this contest be not over?"

I push him back and attempt to gain the upper-hand. But the Count seems to predict my every attack. Eventually, he catches me off-guard and uses the Force to pluck the lightsabers from my hands. After destroying my weapons, he knocks me to the floor and holds his saber to my face.

"It would not be so easy to defeat a Sith."

I am through being toyed with.

"So finish it."

The Count smirks.

"We have other plans…"

I hear footsteps coming down the staircase behind me.

"Have you been watching, Master?"

 _Master?_

I turn my head and see a projection of a cloaked figure being carried down the stairs by a moving platform. The figure speaks in a rough, distorted voice.

"I have indeed, Lord Tyranus. The child's skill with a lightsaber are most impressive. You have found a promising disciple, my apprentice. She shall serve us well."

 _Master…Lord Sidious…the Tragedy of Plagueis…it is true…_

"I…am honored…"

As the projection comes to a halt, the Count speaks again.

"Let me introduce my Master. The true lord of the Sith. Darth Sidious."

 _Lord of the Sith…_

I speak to the projection.

"…What is your bidding?"

The Sith Lord responds.

"A Jedi named Anakin Skywalker. You will find him for us…and eliminate him."

 _A Jedi…_

As the projection moves elsewhere, I speak with Lord Tyranus.

"Jedi…Their order is a fading light in the dark. Corrupt and arrogant…they must be punished. The Jedi shall fall."

"I can sense the darkness within you. I will teach you the ways of the dark side. But you must prove yourself first."

He picks up a metal container.

"Consider this…a gift."

The container then opens to reveal two curved lightsabers inside. I pick up one of the lightsabers and activate it.

Its blade is blood red. As well as the other's.

"You are not a Sith, child. But you can be. If you follow my instructions."

I bow to the Count once more with both lightsabers in hand.

"As you wish…my Master."


	10. The Apprentice Lives

The Apprentice Lives

"Welcome, Lord Vader."

Vader hadn't visited the Imperial Palace in years. He'd forgotten how much he despised being there. Despite his master's alterations to the Temple, his memories of the Jedi who'd once inhabited it still lingered in his mind.

Turning away from the vast city below, the Emperor looked upon his apprentice.

"I see you've repaired your armor."

Vader had cursed himself for allowing his face to be revealed in battle. And the fact that the one who'd seen it remained alive only increased his frustration.

"There were only _minor_ damages, Master."

" _Minor_ …"

Vader could sense his Master's frustration as well.

"And yet…"

The Emperor's voice slightly rose as he let his anger be known.

"You allowed _three_ Jedi to escape, and allowed my _entire_ Inquisitorius to be destroyed."

"The Jedi were not alone. Your former apprentice…"

"I _know_ what happened. What I do _not_ know is why _you_ were unable to slay _three_ outcasts and a _child_."

"The Temple was collapsing…"

"No more _excuses_!"

The Emperor stood up from his throne as his voice echoed through the room. Even the two guards by his side seemed shaken by the sudden outburst. After a moment of silence, the Emperor sat back down and continued.

"I gave you _specific_ instructions to _kill_ the Jedi and _maintain_ the Inquisitorius on Malachor. Instead, you _lost_ the Jedi, you _lost_ the Inquisitorius, and you _lost_ what could have been a valuable asset to us. And _now_ , that asset has fallen into the possession of our _enemies_."

"I assure you, Master. There are _more_ to these events than meets the eye."

"Is that so? Because _I_ can think of no reason why a mere _Padawan_ would best you in combat. Unless…"

The Emperor's voice deepened.

"Her master is _not_ dead after all."

Vader could still hear her voice.

 _I won't leave you. Not this time._

He pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Anakin Skywalker is dead. His apprentice means _nothing_ to me."

"Then I ask once again, Lord Vader. Why. Does. She. Still. Live?"

Vader had gone over this conversation in his head countless times on his way to Coruscant. He didn't know how he'd explain it. Or if his Master would even believe him. But what he'd seen on Malachor had to be known.

"During our duel, I believe she was… _taken_."

In an instant, the Emperor's expression turned from anger to curiosity. He leaned forward as he inquired about his apprentice's words.

"Taken by _whom_?"

"I do not know. But they appeared familiar. They seemed to…materialize from nothing. I had the Padawan at my mercy. But before I could strike her down, this… _figure_ appeared and…pulled her away. And then they both simply…vanished."

"It is possible for one to project themselves to other locations through the Force. But to take another _with_ them is…unheard of. Were you able to get a glimpse of where this figure _was_ when they appeared?"

"No. But they seemed to be reaching through a… _gateway_ or _door_. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen."

The Emperor was deep in thought now.

"Interesting. Then this does _not_ appear to be a form of _projection_. But rather, a form of… _travel_."

"Has such a feat been accomplished before?"

"Perhaps. Texts from the ancient Sith tell of a world existing _outside_ of time and space. A realm in which the past, present and future occur simultaneously. And those within it are capable of traveling to _any_ place at _any_ time."

"Impossible…"

The Emperor smirked.

"When it comes to the Force, my apprentice, nothing is _truly_ impossible."

"So you believe this world may have played a part in the Padawan's disappearance?"

"I am almost _certain_ of it. And if the _Jedi_ are using it to escape _death_ , then we _must_ investigate it."

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"

The Emperor refocused himself and raised his voice once again.

"You must be _relentless_ in your pursuit, Lord Vader. If even a _single_ Jedi survives, they alone could become our undoing."

He gestured towards the door.

"Go. Continue your hunt. And this time…do _not_ hesitate."

Vader bowed his head in response.

"The Jedi will _not_ survive, my Master."

He then faced the exit and began his departure.

Once the door closed behind his apprentice, the Emperor reached into his robe and pulled out a holoprojector. As it activated, an image of an old, hooded man appeared.

"Minister Hydan."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Commence excavation of the Jedi Temple at once."

"As you wish."


	11. Sins of the Darksaber

Sins of the Darksaber

Bo-Katan's heart was racing.

It'd been over two decades since she'd visited Carlac, but the memories remained fresh in her mind.

She'd taken a break from her duties as Mand'alor and returned to this world for a reason. A reason she'd kept solely to herself. Not even her fellow Nite Owls knew of her true intentions.

She'd come with nothing but her beskar armor and a backpack full of various items. Her ship remained parked on a hill while she journeyed towards her destination.

She'd forgotten how cold the planet was. Her armor offered little heat retention, and the constant snowfall hindered her visor's field of view. The fact that the Ming Po had thrived on this world for so long seemed miraculous. They may have lasted even longer had the Empire not forced them to flee into Wild Space.

After hours of trudging through mounds of snow, Bo-Katan finally reached a clearing a few miles away from her ship. And with the heavy winds subsiding, she could at last make out her surroundings.

She felt her heart drop as she saw what lied before her.

The ruins of a destroyed town littered the landscape. Rows upon rows of charred buildings and fallen archways laid buried beneath the snow. Numerous corpses were scattered throughout the area, nearly inhuman in appearance due to climate and decomposition. Bits of ash and debris had been blown in all directions, dotting the ground with morbid patterns that seemed to go on forever.

Bo-Katan removed her helmet and forced herself to look at the remains of the town. She could smell the burned wood and see the ashes being blown by the wind. For a moment, she even thought she could hear the whispers of the dead calling to her. Most Mandalorians believed in life after death, and that only those killed honorably in battle would be able to pass on to another life. While those killed dishonorably would be trapped in the world of the living until obtaining closure.

That was why she'd come.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Bo-Katan spoke to the souls of the Ming Po.

"I am Bo-Katan Kryze. Leader of Mandalore. Many years ago, I served the Death Watch under Pre Viszla. As a member of Death Watch, I killed many people and plunged Mandalore into a state of civil war. I have many regrets. Among them…are the destruction of your town, and the slaughter of your people."

Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out an archaic lightsaber hilt and held it in her hand.

"This is the Darksaber. An ancient weapon stolen from the Jedi. For centuries, it was passed down through House Viszla, and used to unify the people of Mandalore. But once Pre Viszla received the Darksaber, he used it to lead the Death Watch, tearing Mandalore apart and taking countless lives with its blade. Including the life of your chieftain's granddaughter."

Bo-Katan could hear the dead whispering to her again. She tried to control her breathing as she continued.

"I helped the Death Watch butcher your families and burn your homes to the ground. For years, I thought nothing of it. I was young, and foolish. As a child, I studied the teachings of Tor Viszla, who believed that the Mandalorians should conquer the galaxy. I was angry at my sister for wanting to bury our history. And when I met Pre Viszla, he told me that the Death Watch would return Mandalore to its glory days. That under _his_ rule, Mandalore would _never_ fall into civil war again. That we would be _invincible_. That we would be _untouchable_. And I _believed_ him!"

Bo-Katan stopped herself for a moment. After taking another breath, she continued.

"I believed every word that came out of his mouth. And I became a _monster_."

Her grip on the Darksaber tightened as the whispers grew louder.

"That's why I've returned. Not to ask for your forgiveness…but to make you a _promise_."

She reached into the backpack once again and retrieved a blue datacron.

"This datacron contains the Tenets of Tor Viszla; the laws upon which the Death Watch was founded. The laws that I studied as a child. For decades, I followed them. _Lived_ by them."

She then kneeled down and placed the datacron on the ground.

"But no more."

Raising the Darksaber, she pointed its hilt down towards the datacron and activated the blade. As she prepared to strike, she spoke directly to the souls calling out to her.

"I, Bo-Katan Kryze, leader of Mandalore, renounce the ways of the Death Watch!"

Thrusting the Darksaber downwards, she watched as its blade pierced the datacron, destroying it along with the information inside.

Standing back up, she held the blade high above her head.

"As Mand'alor, I swear that I will never allow the Death Watch to reemerge. But unlike my sister, I will _not_ keep their history hidden. I will make sure that the people of Mandalore are informed of their past, so that it may never be repeated."

She could hear the whispers starting to fade.

"And I will use the Darksaber to unite my people under a _new_ set of laws; the Supercommando Codex. This codex will lead them down the path of the _True_ Mandalorians, who fought and died at the Battle of Galidraan. Through their example, the people of Mandalore will act as honorable mercenaries, rather than mindless butcherers. And as their leader, I will make sure that what happened to your town _never_ happens to another. _That_ is my promise."

The whispers finally subsided as she deactivated the Darksaber and put it away. She then spoke to the Ming Po once more before departing.

"Your deaths will be remembered. By me, and by all of Mandalore. May you finally rest in peace."

Bo-Katan felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders as she returned to her ship. She couldn't change what she'd done all those years ago, and she would never forgive herself for it. Rather, she would use her past crimes to push herself forward and become the leader that Mandalore needed. She would follow the path of the True Mandalorians and restore honor to her people, regardless of any infighting that would ensue.

As she left Carlac, she remembered the words of Pre Viszla before his death at the hands of the Outsider.

 _Only the strongest shall rule._

While this doctrine had unified Mandalore in the past, Bo-Katan knew it would no longer be enough. And so, she would teach her people a new doctrine. One that she would use to rally all of Mandalore and lead it charging into a new golden age.

 _Only the truest shall rule._


	12. Half-Pay

Half-Pay

Supremacy Incident Report #1897

Location: Supreme Leader's Chambers

Classification: Code Yellow

Description: Loss of valuable cargo

Cause: System malfunction

Additional details: Occurred during skirmish on Crait

Subject Name: Mo Phead

Age: 67

Position: Custodian

Status: Unharmed

Summary of incident:

 _During all the hullabaloo on Crait, I was called down to Snoke's chambers to clean up a mess. I remember not wanting to leave my closet after that darned Resistance ship tore the Supremacy a new one. But when you're close to retirement like I am, you really don't wanna make your bosses angry. So I sucked it up, grabbed my mop and headed up to Snoke's place. But once I got there, things got a bit tricky._

 _I'd just finished ironing out the old man's robes earlier that day. And now, he was dead. Cut through the midsection and left to rot on the floor._ _Supreme Leader Kylo Ren told everyone it was that girl from Jakku who killed Snoke. And she didn't go easy on his guards either. Those guards were so stiff and droid-like I couldn't tell if they were actually alive or not. And if they had been, they clearly weren't anymore. For a second, I thought about peaking under their masks to see what the hell they were. But I decided against it and got straight to work._

 _The girl's lightsaber cauterized all their wounds, so there wasn't much blood to clean up. But moving the bodies was tough, especially for someone my age. The guards were scattered all over the place, and bits of their armor had been chipped off during the struggle. Nearly cut myself trying to pick up all those sharp bits of plastoid. And don't even get me started on the weapons. The whole time, I was scared one of those things was gonna turn on the moment I picked it up._

 _It almost took me an hour, but I finally got those guards cleaned up. Now there was just Snoke. The whole time I dragged what was left of his body, I wondered how he'd let himself get killed. I rarely saw him in person, but judging from the stories I'd heard, he seemed pretty powerful. I once heard he even used Force lightning on someone. A lot of the stormtroopers thought he was one of those Sith Lords from back during the Clone Wars. I even heard a rumor that he might've been that Muun one; Plagueis. But that'd be ridiculous._

 _A few more minutes of manual labor later, I had all the bodies piled up in a cart. Protocol states that all personnel are to be cremated upon death. So I started pushing the cart down towards the ship's crematory. But once I reached the escape pods, the weight of the cart caused me to throw out my back. Taking a minute, I sat down on the floor and laid my back against the cart. I was just starting to relax when I felt the cart starting to move. And then, my back hit the floor as it rolled away._

 _Fighting against the pain, I tried to get back up and stop the cart from going too far. But by the time I'd gotten on my feet, it'd rolled right into one of the escape pods. I mustered every bit of strength I had left and made my way towards the pod. Once I reached it, I went to grab the cart's handle. But then, there was a loud noise. And a bunch of sparks started flying out of the pod's controls. I put up my hands to keep the sparks from hitting my face. And that's when the pod's door closed._

 _I watched helplessly as the pod full of dead bodies jettisoned out into space without a set destination. With my back still in pain, I limped toward one of the windows to see if it'd gotten far. Luckily, it hit a small chunk of debris from one of the Star Destroyers and stopped dead in its tracks. I breathed a sigh of relief and reached for my comm unit to let security know where the bodies were._

 _But before I could call them, this big whale-looking creature appeared outta nowhere, grabbed the escape pod with its mouth and then vanished into thin air. I was so shocked by what I'd seen that I dropped the comm unit on the floor as I stood there with my mouth agape._

 _I did eventually contact security and let them know what happened. Though most of them think I'm either lying or just plain nuts. But I know what I saw, and that Snoke's body is still out there somewhere. Though in terms of where it might be, I gotta be honest._

 _I don't have half an idea._


	13. Ahsoka and the Dragon

Ahsoka and the Dragon

"Your move, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka moved her Savrip one square forward.

"Deep in thought, Master Plo?"

"I am simply observing your technique."

"So you can beat me more easily?"

"Perhaps."

Plo Koon had gained a reputation for decimating his opponents in dejarik. He'd even managed to best Master Yoda at one point. But today, he was more focused on learning rather than winning. After thinking for a moment, he moved his Grimtaash to the center of the table. He then watched closely as his opponent made her next move.

Almost immediately, Ahsoka's Savrip jumped to the table's inner circle, now only one space away from killing Plo's Grimtaash. Ahsoka couldn't help but smirk as she waited for her opponent to delay the inevitable.

But her smirk quickly faded as Plo's Moddok attacked from behind and struck the Savrip down with its spear. The Moddok then bowed to its opponent as the table recorded Plo's victory.

"An interesting move, young Padawan. Though not a particularly _wise_ one."

"Your team's leader was right there. What was I _supposed_ to do?"

"Well, if I were in _your_ position, I would have waited for the Grimtaash to come to _me_."

"Why would you let your opponent attack first?"

"To determine if they were truly a threat."

Ahsoka was sweating under Tatooine's twin suns. She wiped her forehead as Plo took out his holoprojector. An image of Commander Bly appeared in the palm of his hand.

"General. We've found the smugglers on a nearby moon. Them being on Tatooine must've been a false lead."

"It would appear so. We'll be joining you shortly, Commander."

"Yes, sir."

As the image disappeared, Ahsoka let her impatience be known.

"So we came all the way out here for _nothing_?"

Plo reassured her while packing up the dejarik table.

"Nothing is for nothing, Ahsoka. You'll learn that soon enough."

With the dejarik table folded under his arm, Plo lead the way back to his interceptor. Ahsoka followed close behind while blocking the suns' glare with her hand.

"You know, Master…if you wait too long for your opponent, they might catch you off-guard."

"Not if you prepare ahead of time. _Waiting_ is often the quickest way to victory."

"But what's the point of waiting when you can just _attack_?"

"A Jedi should always defend first and attack second. If a Jedi raises their weapon _before_ their opponent, it means they lack patience and discipline."

"But Master Skywalker draws _his_ weapon first all the time."

"My point exactly."

Suddenly, Plo stopped walking and held up his hand.

"Wait."

Ahsoka stopped behind him and looked around for a moment.

"…What is it?"

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear _what_?"

"Follow me."

Plo began running across the desert while Ahsoka tried to keep up. Still keeping the sun out of her eyes, Ahsoka followed Plo as he ran up the side of a large sand dune. Once they reached the top of the dune, they discovered the source of the noise that Plo had heard.

A group of Tusken Raiders had broken into Plo's interceptor and were rummaging through its interior.

"Hey!"

The Tuskens turned to look at Ahsoka.

"Get away from there!"

Ahsoka then activated her lightsaber and charged at the Tuskens.

"Ahsoka, no!"

Plo's words fell on deaf ears as the Tuskens began firing their weapons in response.

While Ahsoka blocked the blasts with her own weapon, Plo quickly ran up behind her and grabbed her hand.

"What are you-"

Before she could finish, Plo deactivated her lightsaber and stepped in front of her. He then held up his own hand and waited until the Tuskens stopped firing. As they stood guard in front of the interceptor, Plo whispered to Ahsoka.

"Let me handle this."

"But…"

"Trust me."

The Tuskens kept their weapons pointed at Plo while he slowly approached them. Not wanting to provoke the hunters, Plo stopped and stood a few meters away from them. Then, after clearing his throat, he began to speak their language.

Of all the languages Plo had learned throughout his life, Tusken was by far the most difficult. Even with his specialized breath mask, the process of replicating the Tuskens' inflections often left his throat sore. After a lengthy conversation, Plo cleared his throat once more and then walked back over to Ahsoka.

"So what did they say?"

"Well, for starters, they don't like you very much."

"The feeling's mutual."

"They say that one of their clans was attacked by someone wielding a lightsaber. That's why _your_ lightsaber startled them so much."

"…A Sith maybe?"

"I don't know. And neither do they. But for now, they would like us to keep our weapons hidden."

"And what about your _ship_?"

"They raided the interceptor for water. Their children are severely dehydrated. And the local oasis is being guarded by a krayt dragon that they're unable to kill."

"So what do we do?"

"The Tuskens have promised to return the interceptor if we can secure the oasis for them. They will lead us there and watch as we dispose of the krayt dragon. And we are not allowed to use our lightsabers."

"Great…"

Plo knelt down and put his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

"I know you're frustrated. But these Tuskens have lost much. And I refuse to allow any more needless bloodshed. We can take care of this krayt dragon even _without_ our lightsabers. I just need you to trust me. Do you understand?"

Thinking about Plo's words, Ahsoka looked back over towards the Tuskens. She saw them watching intently with their weapons still drawn. Despite their anonymity, she could sense their feelings. Their fear. Their desperation. Their will to survive. Their dedication to their clans. Their love for their families. Turning back to Plo, Ahsoka finally answered.

"I understand."

Plo nodded in response.

"Good. Now let's go hunting."

Ahsoka and Plo could barely keep up as the Tuskens sprinted across the desert. Being raised on Tatooine had made them exceptional at traversing the sand-covered landscape. And their thick garments protected their sensitive skin from the egregious heat. After a few more minutes of travel, they eventually reached their destination.

Standing at the top of another sand dune, Ahsoka and Plo could just barely make out a large shape in the distance. Squinting their eyes and blocking the suns' glare with their hands, they were soon able to identify the shape.

A massive adult krayt dragon was resting in the sands below, its body curled around a small oasis of sparkling water. Grunting and pointing his gaderffii stick, the head Tusken sent Plo and Ahsoka down towards their target.

With their lightsabers still hidden, the two Jedi slowly slid down the dune until they reached the ground below. Plo motioned to Ahsoka to stay quiet as they carefully approached the sleeping giant. Once they were but a few feet away from the creature, Ahsoka whispered to Plo.

"What do we do now?"

"Calm yourself, Ahsoka. Reach out with the Force. Try to make a connection."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Ahsoka held out her hand and tried connecting with the krayt dragon. After a moment or two, she began to sense something. Plo whispered to her again.

"Step forward. Don't be afraid."

Keeping her eyes closed, Ahsoka began approaching the krayt dragon's sleeping head. She could hear the creature's snoring growing louder and louder. She could feel the warm air being exhaled from its nostrils. And soon, she could feel her outstretched hand touching its smooth scales. For a moment, she felt relaxed. Almost as if she were in a dream.

And then, it awakened.

The krayt dragon began to rise up out of the sand. Ahsoka tried to keep her balance as the ground shook beneath her feet. The creature had been startled by her presence. She could feel its body tensing and its anger building. She could hear it growling and hissing as it looked down upon her. In a moment of pure instinct, she reached for her lightsaber. But then she remembered.

 _Defend first. Attack second._

Relaxing her hand, she continued to reach out. Her hand remained pressed against the giant's skin as she attempted to calm it down. For minutes on end, the krayt dragon seemed to study Ahsoka, weighing its options while standing its ground. And Ahsoka continued to put every ounce of her strength into connecting with the creature.

Then, it happened.

Slowly, the krayt dragon began to relax. Its breathing had steadied and its body was no longer tense. The ground that was once shaking beneath its feet was now completely still. Ahsoka could sense the creature's anger fading as it sank back down into the sand. No longer afraid, she reached out one last time and uttered four words.

"Please let us in."

With that, the krayt dragon's body began to shift and turn, leaving a clear passage to the oasis.

The Tuskens quickly rushed over to the oasis and filled their canteens with water. Once they were done, they regrouped with Plo and Ahsoka and started leading them back to their ship.

As soon as they returned, the Tuskens nodded towards the two Jedi and then ran off into the desert without another word.

"What was that about?"

"We held up our end of the deal, and they held up theirs. They have no more business with us."

Before departing from Tatooine, Plo approached Ahsoka and knelt down in front of her.

"Ahsoka."

"Yes, Master?"

"What you did back there was something I'd _never_ seen a Padawan do before. You trusted the Force and used it to defuse the situation, while keeping your lightsaber strictly as a last resort. You controlled your impulses, avoided a potential conflict and reached a peaceful solution. _That_ is the way of the Jedi. And you adhered to it flawlessly."

Plo then put his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder once more.

"You did well, Ahsoka. I'm proud of you."

Ahsoka couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Master Plo."

Plo and Ahsoka continued talking as they entered the interceptor and prepared to leave.

"Are _all_ Jedi Masters as patient as you?"

" _Most_ of them are. Though some are less patient than others."

"Like who?"

Plo smiled.

"Let me tell you about one named Tyvokka."


	14. The Heist

The Heist

Ketsu had never been on a mission like this before.

She'd only been working with the Black Sun for about two years. And during that time, she'd been given relatively small assignments that only required the bare minimum of stealth and combat experience. But this particular mission would be much more complicated.

Stealing from the Empire was one thing. Breaking into the Emperor's Palace was another. And the increased security on Coruscant certainly wouldn't help. Ketsu didn't even know what she and her mentors were supposed to be stealing. But after two years of boringly easy missions, she was more than ready for a challenge.

Cassie and Ione were disguised as stormtroopers via holographic matrices. These matrices provided them with temporary armor, while also hiding their nonhuman features and altering their voices to give them Core World accents. Such attention to detail would be crucial for breaking into the most heavily guarded building on Coruscant.

Cassie and Ione's training methods had been fairly lax up to that point. But Ketsu knew that this mission would require the utmost focus and discipline. Once she'd gotten the stun cuffs on, Ione asked her the same question she asked before every mission.

"Ready?"

And Ketsu gave her the same answer.

"Ready."

With that, the mission began.

Ketsu kept her head down as Cassie and Ione lead her to the Palace. Upon reaching the front entrance, they were met by two stormtroopers.

"Where are you going?"

Keeping her blaster ready, Cassie spoke in her altered voice.

"We caught this… _delinquent_ planting explosives near the Palace. We're taking her in for questioning."

"Explosives? Are they still active?"

"Don't worry. We've disabled them all and we're keeping them as evidence."

Cassie showed the explosives to the stormtroopers before putting them away.

"This seems pretty serious. Maybe you should let _us_ take it from here."

Ione spoke up.

"With all due respect, we have more experience handling these types of weapons. And there's always the possibility that they could detonate on their own. Plus, do you _really_ wanna deal with all the paperwork?"

The stormtroopers looked at each other briefly.

"What are your numbers?"

"TK-211 and TK-208."

After checking their numbers in the Imperial database, the stormtroopers allowed them to enter.

As Ketsu was lead into the Palace, she couldn't help but smirk.

" _Delinquent_ , Cassie?"

"Hey, I drew a blank, alright?"

Ione chuckled.

"How 'bout you just let _me_ do the talking, babe? By the way, your voice sounds _nice_ with that accent."

"Thanks. I hate it."

Eventually, the three reached their destination; the Palace's Grand Corridor. A massive hall wrapping around the entire Palace, the Grand Corridor was extravagantly decorated and filled with countless guards, soldiers and senators speaking over each other in a flurry of noise. Keeping her voice down, Ione knelt down next to Ketsu and took off her cuffs.

"Alright. Now for Phase 2."

Ione then handed Ketsu two of the explosives.

"Plant these by the back window. Cassie and I will plant the rest. Once we're done, we'll meet up back here and go onto the next phase."

"But what are we _stealing_?"

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, just follow my instructions. Okay?"

Ketsu nodded.

"Okay."

After splitting up, the three began planting the explosives at different points within the hall. The explosives had built-in cloaking devices which hid them from the Palace's occupants. Once they were all planted, Cassie, Ione and Ketsu regrouped near the back of the Corridor. Ione then took out the detonator and turned to Cassie.

"Shall we?"

Cassie nodded.

"Light it up, babe."

With the press of a button, the Grand Corridor erupted into chaos. The explosions shook the entire Palace, shattering the walls and sending the crowd into a panic. As the Palace's residents were evacuated, Cassie and Ione discarded their disguise matrices. They then led Ketsu through the hall amidst the confusion.

After avoiding security and dodging falling debris, they eventually reached the far end of the Corridor. Cassie then grabbed Ketsu's shoulder and pointed forward.

"There it is! There's our target!"

Ketsu looked around.

"Where?"

"There! By the window!"

After taking a closer look, Ketsu finally saw what Cassie was pointing to.

A small tree planted by one of the windows.

Ketsu stared at the tree for a moment, and then started laughing. But when Cassie and Ione remained silent, she stopped and turned back to them.

"Wait. You're serious?"

Cassie nodded.

"We did all this…for a tree."

"Hey. We don't _make_ the assignments. We just _take_ them."

"You couldn't have taken a _better_ one?"

Ione interrupted.

"We can talk about this later. Right now, we need to get that tree out of here. So let's get started."

Ketsu sighed.

"Fine."

The three of them then began digging up the tree from its grove. They hurried to get it out before the stormtroopers came back in to investigate. Eventually, they'd gotten the tree out and started carrying it towards the nearest exit. But just as they were about to leave, they heard a voice behind them.

"Hey! Stop!"

The stormtroopers had returned, and were now aiming their blasters at Cassie and Ione. Thinking fast, Ketsu reached into her pocket and pulled out a smoke bomb. She then activated the bomb and threw it at the crowd of soldiers. Exploding into a cloud of blinding fumes, the smoke bomb was enough to distract the stormtroopers while Ketsu, Cassie and Ione made their escape.

Once they'd gotten far enough away from the Palace, Ione pressed a button on her wristband. A small airspeeder then appeared in front of them as its cloaking device deactivated. With the tree still in-hand, the three of them quickly piled into the airspeeder and took off into Galactic City, leaving the Emperor's followers to deal with the mess they'd made.

A few hours of flying later, the group eventually reached another palace, miles away from the Emperor's and almost as large. Upon exiting the airspeeder with the tree, they were met by two Black Sun guards who escorted them inside.

The interior of this palace was even more extravagant than the Emperor's, with each highly decorated room containing various statues, paintings and weapons from countless cultures across the galaxy.

Eventually, they reached an even larger room with guards at seemingly every corner. They were led further through the room until they were stopped by two more guards. They then saw a tall, hooded figure slowly approaching them with a smile on his face. Once he'd gotten close to the three mercenaries, the man removed his hood and revealed himself to them. He was a young-looking, green-skinned humanoid with long, black hair tied back in a single knot. Motioning towards Cassie, he spoke to her in a deep, refined voice.

"My tree."

Cassie handed the tree to him.

"You're welcome, Xizor."

Xizor then began walking back to his throne while admiring the tree in his hands. Once he was seated, he continued speaking with the mercenaries.

"To be honest, I expected you all to perish."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I mean no offense. You're all incredibly expendable. An admirable trait for mercenaries. Had you failed, I would've simply sent one of my replica droids to complete the assignment. I just wanted to see how _capable_ you were."

Ketsu interrupted.

"So _why_ did you have us risk our lives for a tree?"

Xizor smirked.

"Not just a _tree_ , my child."

He held it up in his hands.

"A _ch'hala_ tree. Look at it. Notice the bark?"

Looking down at the tree, Ketsu realized that its bark had changed colors.

"A lovely shade, isn't it? This is due to a pressure-sensitive pigmentation that makes the tree susceptible to nearby noises. These noises can then be converted into sound waves and transmitted via communication devices. A useful tool for spying on one's enemies. _And_ friends."

Xizor then laid the tree upright against his throne.

"Also a nice decoration. Adds a bit of atmosphere, don't you think?"

Ketsu shrugged.

"Well regardless, this specimen will be _highly_ useful to me. And I thank you all for your services."

"Good to know. So where's our pay?"

"Ah! Of course."

Xizor clapped his hands twice, and one of the guards stepped forward with a briefcase. Upon opening the briefcase, Cassie, Ione and Ketsu saw the reward inside.

"50,000 credits. Enjoy."


	15. Nothing

Nothing

You.

You are the one I've been searching for.

The one whom the Force has led me to.

The one who lives amongst the dead.

I sense great power within you. But also…great pain. And longing.

Who are you? Why are you here? And what are you searching for?

…

You cannot speak.

No matter. I will use the Force to see what you've seen.

…

Yes.

I see the events that led you here.

Your upbringing.

Your childhood.

Your birth.

You were the son of a Jedi and a Mandalorian. Two lovers who left their respective orders to elope in secret. As war consumed the galaxy, your parents fled to a world far away from the conflict.

Soon after, you were conceived and born on that very world. And throughout your childhood, your parents raised you carefully, teaching you their skills while keeping you hidden from the rest of the galaxy. You lived there peacefully for years.

Until Mand'alor came.

Mand'alor had heard rumors of a Jedi hiding out on that world. And once he discovered your home, he was enraged to find that one of his own people had eloped with the enemy.

He killed your parents as you slept in the other room.

The next morning, you awoke to find their bodies sprawled out on the floor. You ran over and started shaking them, desperate for any signs of life. But eventually, the truth sank in. And you were consumed by grief.

As you mourned over your parents' bodies, you experienced a vision of their deaths. You watched as they were struck down in cold blood. You felt Mand'alor's blade cut through their flesh. You heard them struggle to breathe as they collapsed to the ground. You tasted the blood dripping from their lips. And finally…you saw him.

The man who'd taken their lives.

From that moment on, you dedicated your life to avenging your parents. You spent the next few years honing your powers and skills, in the hopes that you would one day be strong enough to kill Mand'alor yourself.

For months on end, you hunted countless targets. Animals, criminals, mercenaries, soldiers, civilians. It made no difference who you killed. All that mattered was that each kill made you stronger. And as your power grew, so did your hatred of Mand'alor.

Once you were old enough, you stole a small ship and finally left the planet you'd grown up on. That was when your hunt truly began.

For over a decade, you traveled to countless worlds in your search for Mand'alor. And on each of these worlds, you took thousands of lives, destroying everything in your path and leaving no trace of your presence.

Eventually, your exploits attracted the attention of the Jedi, as well as the Mandalorians. Your many crusades within their territories had made you a nuisance to them. And so, they each attempted to locate and destroy you.

They failed.

And your victories over them increased your power even more.

Through a series of interrogations, you learned that both factions would soon be engaging in a massive battle.

And that Mand'alor himself would be there.

Upon learning this, you immediately headed for the world on which this battle would take place.

Your journey there was not an easy one. During your travels, you were frequently intercepted by the Jedi and Mandalorian fleets heading off to battle. There were many instances in which you were nearly captured or even killed. But despite this, you continued to persevere. And eventually, you reached your destination.

The battle was already well underway by the time you arrived. The enormous fleets engaged one another above the planet, while thousands of soldiers fought on the surface below. It was truly a sight to behold. But you were not there to simply observe. You were there to find Mand'alor and slay him once and for all.

Your final search began with the Mandalorian fleets. As their ships focused fire on the Jedi, you snuck aboard one of them and killed many of its crew members. Once the ship's crew was at your mercy, you interrogated them for Mand'alor's current location. They informed you that he was leading the battle from his flagship, which was currently engaged with the Jedi fleet.

Armed with this information, you stole a starfighter and flew back out into the battle. After weaving your way through hundreds of fighters, you eventually reached Mand'alor's flagship.

The flagship all but dwarfed every other ship in the fleet. It was armed with dozens of turbo lasers and surrounded by countless Mandalorian pilots. And you knew that there would be even more security inside. But it didn't matter.

You could feel your heart racing as you entered the ship's hangar. Your anger rose as you cut down soldier after soldier. Your memories of that morning played over and over again in your mind. The blood. The sorrow. The rage. It all came flooding back as you approached the bridge of the ship.

And then, there were guards. Two guards guarding the door to the bridge. Two guards protecting the man you'd trained your whole life to kill. Two guards standing between you and your destiny.

As the guards charged at you with their swords bared, you held out your hand and gripped them with the Force. They immediately stopped and dropped to their knees, helpless against your power. While they struggled to breathe, you drew your focus to their weapons. Against their wills, the guards slowly raised their swords to their throats. And then, with a flick of your wrist, they cut. As the guards choked on their own blood, you drew your father's lightsaber and your mother's sword. And with a single push, the bridge door opened.

You charged forward screaming, releasing all of your anger as you went to engage Mand'alor and make him suffer for what he'd done all those years ago.

But once you reached the edge of the bridge, you immediately stopped. Your eyes widened with horror at the sight that lied before you.

Mand'alor was dead. His body lied motionless in a pool of blood. A single stroke from a lightsaber had pierced his armor and gashed his chest. No signs of life remained.

In that moment, you felt your entire world collapse from beneath you. You felt more empty and alone than you ever had before.

You couldn't cry. You couldn't scream. All you could do was fall to your knees in silence.

Mand'alor…the man who'd killed your parents…the man you'd spent your entire life preparing to kill…the man you'd shaped your very existence around…was dead.

All of the training. All of the killing. All of the pain and death and destruction.

Had been for nothing.

You had no meaning. No purpose. No reason for existing.

All you wanted in that moment…was to die.

But then, you felt a surge. A kind of power you'd never experienced before. And suddenly, the ship began to move. Through the windows, you could see that the flagship was falling from space, and was about to collide with the planet below.

But rather than bracing for impact, you instead remained completely still. You had wasted your life chasing a dead man. And now, you were ready for it to end.

You closed your eyes as the ship collided with the planet. Welcoming death with open arms.

But unfortunately, death would not be so kind.

Sometime later, you awoke amongst the wreckage of the flagship. The surface of this once fertile world had been reduced to a graveyard of crashed ships and dead soldiers. The deafening sounds of warriors screaming and blasters firing had been replaced by an eerie, all-encompassing silence. And the planet itself seemed to be falling apart as mile-long chasms opened up in the ground.

As you emerged from the wreckage, you realized that you'd lost your parents' weapons. After searching through the remains of the ship, you eventually located them. You then fell to your knees and pointed the weapons at your heart. If the world itself would not end your life, then you would instead.

But as you drove the blades through your chest, you felt…nothing.

There was no pain. No blood. Not even a solid impact.

Upon closer inspection, you realized that you no longer had a heartbeat. And yet, you continued to breathe.

You were not dead. But you were not fully alive either.

As you pondered this anomaly, the emptiness you'd felt on the ship suddenly returned. But this time, it was not simply a feeling. But rather…a pain. A searing pain that racked your entire body and forced you to scream. You could feel it gnawing at your flesh and ravaging your very soul. It was a kind of pain you'd never experienced before. A pain that stemmed from an intense desire. A longing. A craving.

A hunger.

As you struggled with this hunger, you heard a strained voice nearby. Facing the direction of this noise, you saw a surviving Mandalorian attempting to crawl out from the wreckage. Upon seeing you, the Mandalorian began begging you for help. As he pleaded with you, you could sense the life-force within him weakening.

And then…it happened.

Almost instinctively, you raised your hand to the Mandalorian and began draining the life-force from his body. He screamed and begged for minutes on end before finally collapsing, his now lifeless body reduced to a shriveled husk.

While the experience had been unpleasant for you, the life-force you'd absorbed from the soldier had freed you from the intense hunger racking your body.

But this relief would not last long.

Soon, the hunger returned. And you found yourself scouring the area for more survivors. With each survivor you found, you would quickly drain their life-force, momentarily relieving you from the seemingly endless pain before it returned once more.

Eventually, no more survivors remained. And you were left to starve. Alone and in pain on a dead world.

And that brings us to this moment now.

Without survivors to feed on, you've allowed the hunger to fully consume you. The pain has enveloped your body and soul to the point that you are unable to move. And so, you lie here. Broken and desperate for salvation.

I originally came to this place because I sensed a wound in the Force. Naturally, I assumed it was the loss of life that occurred here. But now, I realize that the wound I seek…is you.

You possess great power, but also crave it. The Force gives you strength, but also fuels the very hunger which weakens you. You can take anything you want…and yet you have nothing.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

I am Traya. A Lord of the Sith. And if you come with me, I can teach you to satisfy your hunger. To increase your power even further. And perhaps even to give yourself a new purpose. A purpose greater than anything you could possibly imagine.

So…what will you do?

Will you come with me and learn the ways of the dark side? Or will you stay here and allow yourself to starve for all eternity?

The choice is yours.


	16. A New Job

A New Job

Han was dead.

It didn't seem real.

It felt like a nightmare.

But Chewie had watched it happen.

He'd watched as Ben ignited the lightsaber in his father's hand. He'd watched as the little boy who once played with his fur murdered his best friend in cold blood. He'd watched as Han fell from the walkway and disappeared into the light below.

Han was dead.

He had to be.

But Chewie couldn't accept it.

This was the man who'd made the Kessel Run. The man who'd helped destroy the Death Star. The man who'd outsmarted the Empire, the Hutts and dozens of bounty hunters throughout his life.

How could he be dead?

How was it possible?

These questions echoed in Chewie's head as he landed on D'Qar.

The Falcon felt different now. Colder and emptier. Like its very soul had been taken. Chewie had gotten so used to being copilot that flying the ship himself was almost surreal. Especially with no one sitting next to him.

As he walked out of the Falcon, the world around him seemed to stop. The cheers of the returning pilots were like distant echoes, and the fact that they'd won the battle hadn't even registered with him.

He felt completely numb.

As he neared the base, Chewie glanced up and saw someone standing before him.

Leia.

Chewie's heart stopped. He'd been so caught up in his own grief that he hadn't even considered how this was affecting Leia.

For a moment, he considered stopping and consoling her.

But Leia simply nodded to him before turning her attention to Rey. She knew that Wookiees preferred to be alone while grieving. And that was exactly what Chewie wanted to be.

Alone.

Once inside the base, Chewie sat down on one of the benches and closed his eyes. He then took a deep breath and allowed everything to sink in.

That was when it finally hit him.

His friend was gone.

Forever.

And it was his fault.

If he had just fired sooner.

If he hadn't hesitated.

If he had…

No.

It wasn't his fault.

And Han wouldn't have blamed him.

But Chewie couldn't help but feel responsible.

Ever since they'd first met on Mimban, Chewie had done countless jobs with Han.

He'd gotten him out of trouble so many times.

He'd traveled alongside him and gladly taken part in all of his crazy schemes.

Just a few hours ago, he'd helped him escape from two gangs he hadn't paid back.

All the while being chased by giant, man-eating cephalopods.

Chewie had saved Han's life more times than he could count.

So why couldn't he this time?

Why couldn't he tell that Ben was going to kill him?

Did he really think that Ben was going to come back?

Did _Han_ really think that?

How could he put himself in that situation?

How could he let himself _die_?

How could he do that to _Leia_?

How could he…

 _No_.

Chewie stopped himself.

He knew Han wouldn't have wanted this.

Not for him.

Not for Leia.

Not for anyone.

Han never wanted to die.

He'd just wanted his son back.

And Chewie wanted his friend back.

Just then, a familiar noise drew Chewie's attention. A noise he hadn't heard in years. Looking up from the floor, he turned to see where the noise was coming from.

It was Artoo.

The old astromech had been dormant ever since Luke left. Now, he was suddenly awake and agile as he communicated with the other droids. After a lengthy conversation, Artoo projected an incomplete star map in the center of the room. As the rest of the Resistance gathered around him, BB-8 projected his own piece of the map and matched it perfectly with Artoo's.

They'd done it.

They'd found Luke.

And Rey was going to bring him back.

As the news spread throughout the base, Chewie felt a renewed sense of purpose.

He would still mourn Han, but he wouldn't let his death be in vain.

He would go with Rey.

He would bring Luke home.

He would fight with the Resistance.

And he would help them destroy the First Order once and for all.

Chewie had a new job now.

And he intended to keep it.


	17. Crimson Dawn

Crimson Dawn

"Master…"

Maul could barely stay conscious. His wounds were partially cauterized, but he'd lost an excessive amount of blood. His lower body felt like it was on fire. He clenched his teeth as he called out again.

"Master, please…"

Without his legs, he'd been forced to crawl through an air vent into a trash container. The smell was putrid, and he could feel bits of glass and metal digging into his skin. He tried shifting his focus to block out the pain. He focused on the struggle that had left him this way.

His duel with the two Jedi.

His victory over the Jedi Master Qui-Gon.

His defeat at the hands of his apprentice.

Kenobi.

"Kenobi…"

Just saying that name made his stomach churn.

He remembered it all.

The pain.

The burning.

The blood.

The fall.

It made him want to scream.

But he couldn't.

All he could do was reach out to his master and pray that he would be heard.

And eventually, he was.

 _Maul._

"Master!"

 _You survived._

"Yes…Help me…Please..."

 _Hmmm._

 _No._

"What?"

 _I have no use for a Sith who cannot defeat a mere Padawan._

"I killed his master…"

 _And because of that, you underestimated your opponent._

"It was a mistake…It won't happen again…"

 _I do not give second chances._

"I've served you for years…I've done everything you've asked…I've devoted my life to you!"

 _And yet you've failed me all the same._

"You can't leave me…You need me…You need me!"

 _No. I don't._

Silence.

He was gone.

Maul was alone.

He called out once more.

"Master…Master!"

But there was nothing.

This was it.

Maul would die alone in a pile of garbage. Ruined by the Jedi and abandoned by the Sith.

A failure.

An outcast.

A shadow.

But then, he felt the container moving.

Pushing himself up, he looked around to see what was happening.

The container was being moved into a large cargo ship.

Maul was being transported.

For a moment, he considered crawling out and escaping. But once he realized that this may be his only way off Naboo, he allowed himself to be brought onboard.

As the ship opened up, Maul closed his eyes and continued to block out the pain.

But rather than focus on Naboo, he began to focus on another world.

Dathomir.

The world he'd been born on.

The world his mother had shown him.

The world his master had taken him from.

He remembered the beautiful red skies.

The cool winds that brushed past his face.

The sounds of children playing and warriors training.

His mother's warm embrace as they watched the sun go down.

And most of all, he remembered the poem she would recite for him every night.

 _"_ _Crimson Dawn, Crimson Dawn,_

 _Wait until the sun is gone,_

 _Once the stars expel the light,_

 _We'll revel in the birth of night,_

 _Brothers, sisters, one and all,_

 _Shall rise to heed their mother's call,_

 _Feel no pain, and show no fear,_

 _Sons and daughters of Dathomir."_

He remembered it all.

And he would never forget.


	18. Stargazing

Stargazing

"So what do you think?"

"It's beautiful."

"Told ya so."

"I've never seen stars this bright before."

"That's Lira San for ya."

"Your people are lucky to see this every night."

"They're all used to it by now. Most of them don't even notice it anymore. But I do. And I'm glad you do, too."

"You come out here often?"

"Whenever I get time off. Which, now that the war's over, is gonna be a lot _more_ often."

"That reminds me. What are you going to do _now_?"

"I dunno. Find a job, get my own place, settle down with my boyfriend…"

"Sounds good to me."

"And what about you?"

"I'll probably get a job, too. If we're gonna be living together, I'm not letting you pay for everything yourself."

"Fair enough."

"…"

"…See any constellations?"

"I think so…that one almost looks like an Ysalamir."

"Which one?"

"That one. By the clouds."

"…Oh yeah! I see it now."

"How about you?"

"Uh…I think that one looks like…a rock maybe?"

"…If so, it's the strangest rock _I've_ ever seen."

"Scratch that then. I'll keep looking."

"As will I."

"…"

"…"

"…Hey Al."

"Yeah?"

"You alright?"

"…Yes. Why?"

"You look upset."

"Why would I be upset?"

"You tell me."

"I'm just…thinking is all."

"Thinking about what?"

"I…I don't want to worry you."

"Relax, Al. You can tell me anything. I don't mind."

"…You're sure?"

"'Course I am. I'm all ears."

"Alright. Zeb…can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you…still think about Lasan?"

"…Uh…sure. All the time."

"Do you still think about what the Empire did?"

"Of course I do."

"About…what _I_ did?"

"…Where are you goin' with this, Al?"

"I've just been thinking. You and the Rebellion gave me a second chance. You helped me see how wrong the Empire was and inspired me to defect. You took me in as one of your own and made me a part of your crew. And now, I've been brought to Lira San and welcomed by the very people I thought I destroyed. And while I'm extremely grateful for it, I…"

"…Al?"

"…I'm not sure I _deserve_ all of it."

"…What do you mean?"

"The Lasats might be thriving here, but I still helped kill _millions_ of them on Lasan."

"You said that wasn't supposed to happen."

"It doesn't matter. I still gave the orders _and_ the weapons. And when things began to escalate, when the Lasats started dying, I did _nothing_. I could've spoken out. I could've ordered them to stop. I could've said no. But I didn't. I just looked away."

"…"

"I told myself there was nothing I could've done. That I was just doing my duty. But after our meeting on that moon, I realized that I'd been making excuses for myself. Being compliant in oppression makes you no better than the oppressor. And while I served the Emperor, I was no better than him. I may have learned since then, but…it doesn't change the fact that I participated in a massacre."

"Al…"

"I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. I really do appreciate what you've done for me, Zeb. I just don't know if I deserve it. Or if I deserve _you_."

"I know what you mean. I've had those kinds of thoughts myself."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Back when I was training for the Honor Guard, we had this one recruit who just couldn't keep up with us. He would fail every inspection and get the rest of us in trouble. He was a nice guy, but the other recruits couldn't stand him. So this one recruit who was a real bully decided that he was gonna beat the guy up after practice. All the other recruits wanted to join him, but I stayed out of it. They all told me they would come after me if I told the instructor. And since I was the runt of the group, I didn't try fighting them. Once practice was done and we all started heading home, I saw the other recruits surround the guy and start pummeling him. The instructor was right inside the facility, and I had every chance to go tell him what was happening. But I was afraid of what the others would do to me if I told on them. So instead, I just…kept walking."

"You didn't try to help him?"

"No. I wanted to, but I was too scared. They hurt him really bad. Broke his legs so he couldn't walk. His doctor said it would take months for them to heal. And even once they did, he'd never be able to walk or run as well. He had no choice but to drop out of training. It was his dream to join the Honor Guard. But now, he would never be able to. All because of me."

"Zeb…"

"One day, I decided to visit him while he was recovering. I told him about what happened and how I'd been too afraid to help him. He forgave me…but I couldn't forgive myself. So from that moment on, I swore to myself that I would never turn my back on someone in trouble. That's why I joined up with Hera and Kanan. Not just because of what the Empire did to Lasan, but because of what it was doing to the rest of the galaxy. I didn't just sit around feeling sorry for myself while billions of people suffered. And neither did you."

"…"

"Al…what you did back then was wrong. For many, unforgivable. And rightfully so. I understand why you don't forgive yourself. You have every right not to. But the best thing you can do right now is learn from the past. And make sure that what happened to Lasan never happens to another world. And I'll be right there with you. Every step of the way."

"…Thank you, Zeb."

"No problem, Al. And…for what it's worth…I forgive you."

"…Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"…That…means a lot to me."

" _You_ mean a lot to me."

"Heh…"

"Sorry. Too corny?"

"No. Not at all."

"…"

"…"

"…So…it's getting pretty late, huh?"

"Yeah. We should probably start heading in."

"I'll pack up the chairs."

"Oh! I almost forgot. I wanted to give you something."

"What?"

"This."

"Is that…?"

"The meteorite from the moon."

"You kept it?"

"Of course I did. You gave it to me."

"So…why are you giving it back?"

"So that I can do this."

"…"

"Garazeb Orrelios…will you marry me?"

"…"

"…Zeb?"

"…"

"…Are you crying?"

"…No…It's just the pollen…"

"This planet doesn't have pollen."

"Just gimme the rock and kiss me."


	19. Captain's Report

Captain's Report

 _Report #5179_

 _Our fleet has just entered hyperspace and is currently en route to Lothal. The Emperor has ordered a Base Delta Zero on the planet due to the destruction of its Imperial Command Center, as well as the disappearances of Governor Pryce and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Operation will be carried out upon entering Lothal's atmosphere. End of report._

 _Report #5180_

 _Mission is proceeding as planned. All ships are prepared for bombardment and will soon be exiting hyperspace. Personnel are in position and weapons systems are fully functional. Our fleet will enter attack formation once we arrive at the Lothal system. End of report._

 _Report #5181_

 _There's been a complication. While in hyperspace, one of our Star Destroyers was impacted by…something. A few personnel reported seeing a massive object come in contact with the ship. None of them were able to identify the object. But whatever it was managed to damage the ship's external weapons systems. Our formation will need to be slightly altered to accommodate for this incident. End of report._

 _Report #5182_

 _All ships have exited hyperspace and are now entering attack formation. The damaged Star Destroyer is being moved to the back so a more functional ship can take its place in the front. The planet is completely unprotected and we're detecting no other ships in our general vicinity. Once we've entered formation, we will commence Base Delta Zero. End of report._

 _Report #5183_

 _We've lost the damaged Star Destroyer. We sent it back nearly an hour ago and now it's just…gone. All attempts at communication have been met with utter silence. It appears that breaking formation is our only option. We'll resume the operation after locating the ship. End of report._

 _Report #5184_

 _The ship…it's…decimated. We found it near a small asteroid field, far off course from our destination. The entire ship has been torn to shreds. It's nearly unrecognizable. This couldn't have been the asteroids. I don't know what could've done this. We're moving in to investigate. And staying on guard in case whatever did this decides to come back. End of report._

 _Report #5185_

 _Oh God…the crewmen…they're everywhere. Just…floating in space. Most of them are in pieces. They look like they were ripped apart. I've never seen anything like this. It's like a massacre. We need to find out what did this. End of report._

 _Report #5186_

 _We've lost power. Communication systems are down. We've lost the rest of the fleet and have no way of contacting them. My crew is growing uneasy. And so am I. I have a feeling we aren't welcome here. Hopefully, we'll regain power soon. End of report._

 _Report #5187_

 _Power's back on. Thank God. We were freezing our asses off. We're trying to contact the other ships, but we're getting nothing. We'll have to start looking for them. I can't wait to get out of here. End of report._

 _Report #5188_

 _We're finally back on course. We've wasted enough time out here. We should've never left our position. I just want to find the rest of the fleet and bomb that damned planet already. End of report._

 _Report #5189_

 _…_

 _Report #5190_

 _They're gone…They're all gone…Every last Star Destroyer has been torn to pieces…Their crewmen are dead and scattered through space…We're alone…We're out of fuel…Something is coming for us…I can hear it…It's getting closer…We have to call for help…_

 _Report #5191_

 _We lost power again…I don't think it's coming back this time…The noises are growing louder…My crewmen are starting to panic…We're out of options…This is it…I need to be alone…_

 _Report #5192_

 _This is Captain Mesahli of the Star Destroyer Spearhead. I was sent to the Lothal system with a fleet of twenty ships. But now…only my ship remains. The others were destroyed by what I can only describe as monsters. Enormous beasts that drift through space and devour everything in their path. I can see them right now, coming for me and my crew. My only hope now is that this droid will be able to carry my reports back to Coruscant. To anyone listening to this, I beg you to heed my warning. Stay away from Lothal. No amount of Star Destroyers can stop these beasts. The Imperial Starfleet must avoid this system at all costs. Please. I beg you. Stay away from this planet. Stay awa…_

 _End of Recording_


	20. Father, Daughter, Son

Father, Daughter, Son

Father, Daughter, Son,

All three on the run,

Father was dour, and with his great power,

He led them towards the sun,

Daughter, Son, Father,

In a monolith they gathered,

Daughter would stay, but Son wished to stray,

Making them wary of one another,

Father, Son, Daughter,

Son was planning a slaughter,

Daughter did fight, to keep him in sight,

But in the end, he got her,

Son, Daughter, Father,

Before Son could get farther,

Father gave his life, to end all the strife,

And he and Son died together,

Father, Daughter, Son,

Now there's only one,

She may have been slain, but her spirit remains,

Her life has only begun.


End file.
